How to Cut Sushi Fillets

Beautiful presentation is an important part of the art of making sushi.

Sushi is a type of Japanese food in which raw fish and other ingredients are served in bite-sized pieces rolled in or placed atop rice that is mixed with vinegar and slightly sweetened. Nigiri sushi, meaning hand-formed sushi, refers to a type of sushi in which a small strip of one ingredient, usually raw fish, is placed atop a small nugget of sushi rice and sometimes wrapped with a narrow strip of seaweed.

Things You'll Need

• Raw sushi-grade fish
• Sharp sushi knife
• Cutting surface

Instructions

1. Trim the filet into a block about about 3 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches high. With large fish, you can trim a larger filet down into an appropriately sized block. With smaller fish, you can use a whole filet with the edges trimmed off to form a block.

2. Slice a triangular piece off one end of the block, with your knife perpendicular to the cutting surface. The triangle should be about 1 1/2 inches wide at the base. This will form a diagonal bias for you to cut along.

3. Cut slices 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, following the diagonal bias you created by cutting off the triangular piece at the end. Use smooth, swift motions, pulling the knife toward yourself with each slice.

Tips & Warnings

• For the best texture, cut across the grain of the fish.

• Small filets or filets of irregular thickness may produce triangular slices. In some cases, you may have to use two slices for one piece of nigiri sushi.

• Save scraps and trimmings to use in rolled sushi.

References

• "Sushi"; Ryuichi Yoshii, Brigid Treloar, Hideo Dekura; 2006