Help please - need advice about fish for Sushi and Sashimi

[Mind_your_head]

I've been going up the learning curve about sushi & sashimi b/c I want to be able to make it myself. Learned how to make the miso soup (can't have sushi/sashimi without the bowl of miso soup first, right?) Learned how to make the sushi rice. Learned how to make a california roll.

Here's my problem/question: I bought some tuna from the local fish monger today. It really looks beautiful, but I'm a l-i-t-t-l-e teeny tiny bit worried about eating it raw. My understanding is (but I could be wrong about this) that sushi grade tuna needs to be frozen first down to a certain temperature for a certain period of time. The fish guy said we'd have no problem eating his tuna raw tonight (I saw him cut the two pieces off of the very large piece he had there), but he said that it had not been frozen. Now I know too that when you order seared tuna at a restaurant, the outside only is seared and the inside is raw and you don't worry about parasites or getting sick from that (although maybe they freeze that tuna first? :shrug:)

So, here's my options I figure:

1) Go ahead and use the tuna "as is" for sushi/sashimi - it'll be fine
2) Freeze it myself and make this some other night (although I don't know for how long or how low of a temp. it needs to be)
3) Use the tuna tonight - only cook it, thereby making some other dish, not the desired sushi :-(

Does anyone know/have an opinion to offer?

Thanks in advance,
M_Y_H

[htuttle]

1. I've never heard of the freezing step

In fact, I'd think that might affect the texture of the fish. :shrug:

In any case, I've usually eaten raw tuna the day I got it, or maybe the next. I typically find out when it 'comes off the ship' (or the plane, around here) and buy it on that same day.

As long as it's bright red and doesn't smell very fishy, it should be good. Really good. :9

[Mind_your_head]

3. Thanks so much for answering

and with the answer I was hoping to hear too - "Go for it"! :-) Yep, these two pieces look really lovely, bright red and very clean smelling

As for the sushi grade fish being frozen first, here's where I read that:

What is sushi grade fish? However, what this term really means is that the fish is fresh and handled properly enough that one can be reasonably sure that it is clean and parasite free. In most cases it has been frozen to a low enough temperature for long enough that any parasites that the fish may have had have been destroyed. Most fish that you will find in any grocery store or fish market is not sushi grade fish, so ask questions and know what you are buying if you intend to eat any seafood raw.

http://www.sushifaq.com/sushiotaku/2008/01/31/where-to-buy-sushi-grade-fish/

I'm not sure if this is correct about the freezing though either (can't believe everything you read on the internets, right? lol) For one thing, what did they do back in the days before refrigeration? Only eat sushi in the winter?

Well, I'm gonna give it a try then! Uhm, if you never see me post on DU again though, you could assume that "it didn't work out well" and it was "death by sushi" (what a way to go....) :rofl:

Thanks again,
M_Y_H

[Warpy]

2. It's my understanding that sushi grade tuna is harvested

from fish with no sign of parasitic disease. Holding at a low temperature will kill some parasites, but it won't affect the eggs or even some larvae. You are always taking a chance with any raw fish, but as a lox lover, I understand why people do.

As long as you're buying specifically sushi grade tuna, you know that someone has at least examined the fish beforehand for obvious signs of infection.

[Mind_your_head]

4. Thanks for answering

In my reply to a poster up above I cited the source I found about freezing the fish first, but I'm not sure if that's correct. I think I've decided to trust the fishmonger that this tuna is okay. His store was really clean and didn't smell of fish AT ALL. The large piece of tuna that he cut my two pieces from looked really beautiful and clean. He seemed trustworthy and he said we'd be fine to use it for sushi - just needed some reassurance from the experts at DU :-).

My family really likes sushi but frankly when we go out for it, it EASILY runs around $100 or so *sigh*. So, since I like to cook I figured I could learn to make some of my own (obviously I won't be able to make some of the more complicated/exotic ones, of course). Then even if I spend $20-40 on the fish, I'm still way ahead (as long as I don't kill anyone with food poisoning or some such). My ulterior motive though is to make sushi fairly regularly so that they finally get tired of it and stop asking to go out for such expensive dinners so often! LOL

Actually, it's been fun learning how to make these different elements - the soup, the rice, the technique for making the maki rolls, etc.

Thanks again for your reply. (btw, I really enjoy reading your posts. You add a lot of knowledge and good advice to this site. You're very helpful :-) )

Thanks,
M_Y_H

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I think you'll be just fine

I'd also be surprised if that tune was not already frozen, no matter what your fish guy says. I'd bet it was caught wild in Asia someplace and was frozen on the boat until they **at least** got to shore.

[Mind_your_head]

6. Just wanted to "report back" that it worked out fine

We're all still alive! LOL

The family really thought it was delish! I made/served cucumber salad with rice vinegar and toasted sesame seeds, then miso soup, then california rolls, cucumber rolls, and tuna sushi, as well as just the sliced tuna sashimi.

I'm thrilled that they liked it so well, because it was so much more cost effective than going out for it. I only used 1/2 lb. of the tuna (which was OUTSTANDINGLY GOOD, btw) so at $20/lb. that was $10 of tuna for 4 people = $2.50/person for the tuna. The other ingredients rice, nori (seaweed sheets), miso, wakame, avocado, cucumber, miso, dashi, etc. are all relatively inexpensive.

I have to get better at making the rolls though. They looked fine, but I was putting too much filling in which caused them to be too fat. I figure I will get better with more practice. I took some pics.

Thank you all for the reassurance about the fish! :-)