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Masu zushi
Pressed trout sushi
Masu zushi (ます寿司): Toyama pressed trout sushi in a bamboo-leaf-lined round box
Masu zushi is Toyama's famous ekiben, the boxed lunch sold at the station for the train ride: a round, flat cake of vinegared rice pressed under a layer of salted, vinegar-cured trout and wrapped in bright green bamboo leaves, cut into wedges like a pie. The fish is cured but raw, so use only fish sold as safe to eat raw and previously frozen, and keep everything cold; this version is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. For a safer version, use hot-smoked trout fillet instead, which is fully cooked. The usual mistake is pressing the rice while it is still warm, which turns it mushy; cool it to body temperature first. Chef's tip: press the cake for a full hour under a heavy weight so it slices cleanly, then cut it with a wet knife.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the trout
- 10 ½ oz skinless trout or salmon fillet sold for eating raw, previously frozenor hot-smoked trout for the safer version
- 2 tbsp salt
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
For the sushi rice
- 14 oz Japanese short-grain ricerinsed until clear
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
To assemble
- 8 bamboo leavessoaked, or baking paper
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: For the raw version, cover 10 ½ oz skinless trout or salmon fillet sold for eating raw, previously frozen on both sides with 2 tbsp salt and leave in the fridge for 40 minutes. Rinse, pat dry and soak in ½ cup rice vinegar mixed with 1 tsp sugar in the fridge for 20 minutes, until the surface turns pale. Pat dry and slice thinly on an angle. For the safer version, simply flake or slice hot-smoked trout.
60 minStep 2: Cook 14 oz Japanese short-grain rice with 1 ¾ cups water: bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 13 minutes, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes.
23 minStep 3: Warm ¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt until dissolved. Tip the rice into a wide bowl and fold in the dressing with a cutting motion while fanning, until glossy and cooled to body temperature.
Step 4: Line a 20 cm round tin with cling film, then lay 8 bamboo leaves in a fan so they hang over the edge.
Step 5: Arrange the trout slices over the leaves in a single overlapping layer, then press the rice evenly on top.
Step 6: Fold the leaves over, cover with a plate and a 1–2 kg weight and press in a cool place for 1 hour.
Step 7: Turn out, unwrap and cut into 6 wedges with a wet knife. Eat the same day, kept cool, or keep in the fridge and eat within 24 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masu zushi take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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