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Ebi nigiri is a Japanese sushi staple featuring gently squeezed sushi rice topped with raw jumbo shrimp. The key to great nigiri is proper rice compression so it holds together when eaten.
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To boil and butterfly the shrimp. Remove the head of the shrimp and insert a long bamboo skewer through the middle - starting from the top and working it through towards the tail.
Use your thumb to press and flatten the center of the tail section, to allow more space for the skewer to exit.
Bring the water and vinegar to a rolling boil, add the skewered shrimp, and cover the pot.
Immediately remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes.
Remove the shrimp and let cool to room temperature.
Peel the shrimp and set aside.
Use the point of a sharp knife to slit open the stomach from the top to bottom, making sure not to cut all the way through.
Gently open the shrimp and flatten. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
To make the Nigiri: make a small mix of water and rice vinegar for dipping your fingers inches This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
Moisten hands in the water-vinegar mix and pick up a small ball of sushi rice in your right hand. Squeeze gently into a rectangular shape. Pick up and hold a butterflied shrimp in your left hand.
Bring the rice ball to the shrimp. Us the thumb and foreginger of your right hand to gently press in the sides of the nigiri, and use the thumb of your left hand to press it down at the bottom (of the upside down nigiri). Use your right hand to turn the pressed nigiri over in your left hand.
Use the thumb and forefinger to press in the sides, and two fingers of your right hand to press the shrimp and rice gently together topside.
Optional: slice a thin strip of nori, and wrap around the middle of the Ebi Nigiri. It's a pretty finishing touch.
Serve with traditional sushi accompaniments, soy, wasabi and pickled ginger.
Eat nigiri immediately after assembly for best texture. Refrigerated nigiri will harden and become unpalatable within a few hours.
sushi rice cooker (for preparing rice, though any pot works)
Nigiri means 'squeeze' in Japanese, referring to the technique of gently compressing sushi rice into small rectangular shapes by hand.
Yes, cooked shrimp works as an alternative, though traditional ebi nigiri uses raw jumbo shrimp for texture and flavor.
Compress the rice firmly but gently into a compact rectangle, and ensure the shrimp topping adheres well. Proper technique prevents it from breaking when transferring to your mouth.
No, the recipe calls for raw and unpeeled shrimp. Peel and devein them, then use as specified.
The recipe uses 5 tablespoons of cooked and cooled sushi rice for 5 shrimp, roughly 1 tablespoon per piece.
