How many types of sushi do you know? The most common kinds of sushi in Japan include Nigiri Sushi, Maki Sushi, Temaki Sushi, Chirashi Sushi, Temari Sushi, and Inari Sushi. Have you tried them all already? Today I’ll introduce another popular variety, Pressed Sushi or Oshizushi (押し寿司). Among this type of sushi, the most popular one is Mackerel Pressed Sushi or Saba Oshizushi (鯖の押し寿司), so let’s make it today!
What is Pressed Sushi (Oshizushi)?
Pressed Sushi or Oshizushi is made from layers of cured fish and sushi rice that are placed in a special box called Oshibako (押し箱), and then compressed together by weight, making them into a tightly pack sushi stack. Mackerel Pressed Sushi consists of vinegar cured mackerel, shiso leaves, and sushi rice. You may have seen fancier pressed sushi with multiple layers of sushi rice, seafood, and other ingredients. Oshibako creates a perfectly rectangular shape, and if you are ambitious, you can make eye-catching pressed sushi with a checkered pattern using colorful toppings (maybe someday for me!). Is Battera same as Mackerel Pressed Sushi? For those of you from Osaka or have traveled to Osaka, you may have heard of Battera (バッテラ) – a type of pressed sushi made with vinegar pickled mackerel. A fillet of mackerel is also placed inside the wooden box and filled with sushi rice. The difference is that after you remove the sushi out of the box, a super-thin, almost translucent sheet of kombu is placed on top of the mackerel before it’s cut and served. The addition of kombu is unique to the regional Osaka cuisine. The name “Battera” doesn’t sound so Japanese, does it? That’s because the name derived from the Portuguese word bateria or “small boat” as the sushi made with the original method without the box looked very similar to a small ship from the side.
What You Will Need to Make Pressed Sushi
1. Sushi Rice
If you want to learn how to make sushi rice properly from scratch, this is the recipe with a video tutorial. However, today I’ll show you something new. Did you know you can find two types of rice vinegar when you go to Japanese condiment isle? The first type is regular rice vinegar and the other one is “seasoned” rice vinegar. The one labeled as ‘Seasoned’ rice vinegar is basically sushi vinegar, specifically made to quickly prepare sushi rice! When Japanese people talk about “Sushi Rice”, we’re referring to steamed rice seasoned with sushi vinegar called sushizu (すし酢).
Sushizu or sushi vinegar is made of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. It’s pretty simple, but when you’re in a hurry, it’s really convenient to just reach for the ready-for-use sushi vinegar instead of whisking your own. Today I use Kikkoman Seasoned Rice Vinegar to make delicious sushi rice for this Mackerel Pressed Sushi recipe.
2. Vinegar Pickled Mackerel (Shime Saba)
For this recipe, you will need a special type of mackerel, not a fresh one. Mackerel is known to go spoiled easily, so the best way to preserve the fish is to cure them with vinegar. Cured and marinated mackerel is called Shime Saba (しめ鯖) in Japanese. You can easily find pre-marinated and packaged Shime Saba in the frozen section of Japanese or Asian grocery stores. The same brand Shime Saba I find is a bit cheaper in the Korean grocery store than the Japanese store in my area. Since the mackerel fillet is uneven, being thicker in the middle and thinner toward the edge, I cut the fillet in half lengthwise and then butterfly each piece from the cut edge. If you have a kitchen torch, I recommend searing the skin of the mackerel for an additional layer of flavors. When seared, we say Aburi Mackerel, Aburi Salmon, Aburi Toro, etc (Aburu 炙る is a verb; Aburi 炙り is a noun and adjective). You don’t like Mackerel? Other ingredients you can use:
Smoked salmon (another popular variety as it’s easy to get!0Thinly sliced vegetables (use a vegetable peeler)Unagi (eel)Thin egg crepe (Usuyaki Tamago recipe)Imitation crabCooked butterflied shrimp (like one on nigiri sushi)Be creative, and let us know how you’ve made it!
3. Oshibako (Sushi Press)
You will need an Oshibako (押し箱), or sometimes called Oshizushihako (押し寿司箱) or Hakozushigata (箱寿司型). It is a wooden box or mold, made of 3 parts: a bottom part, the rectangular walls, and a top part. The top and bottom parts resemble a traditional Japanese geta (wooden sandal). Before you use the Oshibako, you will need to moisten the three parts so the rice will not stick to them. To assemble, you place the bottom part and then the rectangular wall part. After you place the ingredients inside, position the top part and put all your body weight down to compress the sushi. You can remove the box once you finished pressing. Wash the mold thoroughly and allow it to dry. Do we need Oshibako to make pressed sushi? For those of you who wish to try this recipe without using an Oshibako, you can get away with your own makeshift box. Use a rectangular/square container or bento box lined with plastic wrap so you can pull out the sushi later. You will also need something flat that fits inside the box to press down the sushi.
5 Tips to Make Perfect Pressed Sushi
I put together five tips that will be helpful when you make Oshizushi. Practice definitely helps, and as you make more Oshizushi, your sushi will be neater and prettier. I can definitely spend more time improving my Oshizushi skill.
Moisten the Oshibako and hands with vinegar water (it’s called tezu).Add the fillings evenly, and don’t miss filling the four corners!Press using your body weight, not just the arms and hands.Use moistened cloth to wipe the knife every time you slice the sushi.When you cut the sushi, the knife motion should be “push forward and pull”.
Whether your pressed sushi turn out perfect or slightly off shape, I think they will still look impressive at the dinner table. There is just a touch of elegance to the presentation when sushi is shaped this way. I’d be so thrilled to see your creation, so please share your pictures with me! Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. They’ve been in business for over forty years and all the sashimi products we’ve tried from them are outstanding. Use J1COOK20 for 10% discount. Disclosure: We earn a small percentage commission from your purchase of products linked to Catalina Offshore.
