Oshi Sushi Recipe

Impress your Family and Friends by Learning how to make Unique, Delicious and Beautifully pressed Sushi with one of these Recipes

Oshi Sushi

Try out the following oshi sushi recipe if you really want to hear oooh's and ahhh's the next time you make sushi. More than likely, if you are viewing this webpage from the U.S., your guests will not have had this unique variation of sushi. 

Oshi Sushi is not nearly as common in American Sushi restaurants as Nigiri or Maki Rolls, but in Japan it is still very popular. As a matter of fact, Mackerel pressed sushi is still one of the most popular foods consumed in Japanese airports.

The method used to make this sushi actually has its roots in the origins of sushi where it was common to surround fish with rice and apply weight to speed the fermentation process.

Although it is no longer necessary to preserve fish in this way, the method of pressing fish and sushi rice is still in use today in the making of Oshi Sushi.

To make this Oshi Sushi recipe, you will either have to purchase a traditional wooden mold, called an Oshibako or get a new fangled plastic mold. The plastic ones are nice because they don't stick as easily and don't have the clean up issues of the wooden mold.

Still, there is something about doing things the "old fashioned" way. I guess it has a sentimental value to me, since that was the way that my mother made it when I was growing up.

Seasoning and Using your Oshibako

Oshibako

Before using your wooden mold for the first time, place it in a mixture of 1 part rice vinegar to 4 parts water, weight it down and let it soak overnight. Dry thoroughly with a towel by hand the next day and then let it dry completely.

Before using the mold each time, place it in the water and rice vinegar mixture for about 15 minutes. Place a plate or something heavy on top to keep it submerged during this time. 

When you are finished using the mold, wash it thoroughly and allow it to dry.

If you prefer, try fitting a sheet of plastic wrap over the sushi mold and press the wrap down into the mold before filling it with ingredients.

Some people like this better than soaking and cleaning the mold every time. Try both methods  and see which one you like better.

Oshi Sushi Recipe (Oshizushi Recipe)
Crab and Avocado pressed sushi with Wasabi-Mayo Sauce

Crab and Avocado pressed sushi

Supplies

Measuring inside of oshibako that it is 1 and 1/2 inches wide
Measuring length of oshibako showing it is 7 inches long inside measurements

1 small Oshibako (1-1/2 inch wide by 7 inches long - inside measurements)

Ingredients

Sushi Rice (this will yield 4 cups of rice and this recipe about 5 pressed sushi).


(Try to buy a high quality Japanese short grain white rice if you can)

Marusei imitation crab meat
Measuring crab meat
Removing cellophane from crab leg piece
Splitting each crab leg in half

10 oz. crab meat preferably sticks or legs (split in half). Each crab stick will be around 1oz.

Peeling skin off of avocado
Thinly slicing avocado
Showing how thin the avocado is sliced

1 avocado split and separated down the center and then peeled and sliced into thin slices (slice these as you need them for each pressed sushi otherwise your avocado may turn brown)

Wasabi-Mayo Sauce

How to make Wasabi-Mayo Sauce

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Japanese or Regular Mayonnaise

1 Tsp imitation wasabi or real wasabi

Preparation

Combine mayonnaise and wasabi in a bowl and mix well.

Cover and store in refrigerator while you are preparing the other ingredients for your roll. 

Making your Crab and Avocado Pressed Sushi for this Oshi Sushi Recipe

1. Remove the mold from the water it has been soaking in and dry with a damp towel.

Dipping fingers in vinegared water
Tapping fingers on towel to remove excess vinegared water

2. Dip your hands in vinegared water (1/4 cup rice vinegar + 1 cup water) and tap your fingers on a folded damp rung-out towel to remove any excess water.

Measuring 1/2 cup of rice

3. One of the best ways that I have found to make your pressed sushi a consistent size is by measuring your rice each time. Take your 1/2 cup measure and moisten the inside with vinegared water so that the rice will not stick. Shake out any excess. Then measure out 1/2 cup of rice. 

Putting 1/2 cup of rice in oshibako
Pressing down 1st layer of rice
Pressed down 1st layer...

4. Spread the rice evenly in the bottom of the mold and then press down with the lid pretty firmly. This recipe will totally fill this box so everything needs to be pressed down as far as they will go.

 Refer to the pictures above.

5. Remove the lid and wipe with a towel damp with vinegared water.

Adding 1 tsp of wasabi-mayo sauce
After spreading wasabi mayo sauce

6. Spread about a teaspoon of wasabi-mayo sauce evenly across the first layer of pressed rice. 

Adding avocado...make sure to line the dark edges along the outside...

7. Spread a layer of avocado on top of the rice. Line the dark green edges of the avocado around the outside so that they will form a dark green line in the middle of your pressed sushi. 

I will break off small pieces to fit in the corners and other areas to fill in the gaps around the edge so it will appear to be a solid dark green line around the outside when done.

Adding 1/4 cup of rice...
After pressing 1/4 cup of rice

8. Now measure 1/4 cup of rice and spread it over the top of the avocado layer evenly. Press firmly again with the top. 

Spreading open crab leg half so it will lay flat
After pressing down the crab on top

9. Take a piece of split crab leg and carefully open it up so it will lay flat. Lay each piece in one quarter of the box. With this size oshibako (1-1/2 x 7) it should take 4 half pieces to cover the top. 

See pictures above. 

10. Take the top and press firmly to compact the crab. 

Slicing the oshi sushi using the grooves in the oshibako

11. Wipe your knife with the damp vinegared tea towel and slice the pressed sushi using the guides in the box.

Pushing down on the center lid while pulling up on the sides of the box
After removing the box from around the oshi sushi
Showing side view of oshi sushi

12. While pushing down on the top in the center, pull up on the box part of the form essentially pushing the center out and lifting off the box. 

Finish slicing the oshi sushi

13. Wipe your knife with the damp tea towel and finish slicing the pressed sushi. 

Finished crab and avocado pressed sushi on sushi plate

14. Arrange the pieces on a sushi plate. Garnish with ginger and wasabi and top with either dill or green onions.

Now admire your creation. Perfect for that next party right?

And if it was your first time following an oshi sushi recipe, it wasn't as hard as you thought it would be was it?

If you just did the previous oshi sushi recipe, I hope you liked it.

But now it's time for one of my favorite creations.

It's a Salmon and Cucumber pressed oshi sushi recipe that will surely impress the sniffiest and pickiest of guests... come on... let's give it a try!

Oshi Sushi Recipe (Oshizushi Recipe) 
Salmon and Cucumber pressed sushi

Finished salmon and cucumber pressed sushi

Supplies

1 medium Oshibako (2-3/4 inch wide by 5-3/4 inches long - inside measurements)

Ingredients

Sushi Rice (this will yield 4 cups of rice and this recipe about 4 pressed sushi). 

(Try to buy a high quality Japanese short grain white rice if you can)

6 oz. salmon or smoked salmon (sliced nigiri style)and length trimmed down to width of oshibako (like I'm measuring the cucumber below)

Measuring and cutting to the length the japanese or english cucumber based on the width of the oshibako
Thinly slicing the japanese or english cucumber

1/2 salt-scrubbed english (hot house) or Japanese cucumber sliced thinly (see above)

Removing skin from avocado
Slicing avocado thinly
Showing how thin the avocado is sliced

1 avocado split and separated down the center and then peeled and sliced into thin slices (slice these as you need them for each pressed sushi otherwise your avocado may turn brown)

Optional additional Ingredient

Cream cheese sliced thinly like the cucumber

Lay the cream cheese on the rice before you add the avocado.

I think you will really like this variation...especially if you use smoked salmon!!! 

Making your Salmon and Cucumber Pressed Sushi for this Oshi Sushi Recipe

1. Remove the mold from the water it has been soaking in and dry with a damp towel.

Dipping fingers in vinegared water
Tapping fingers on towel to remove excess vinegared water

2. Dip your hands in vinegared water (1/4 cup rice vinegar + 1 cup water) and tap your fingers on a folded damp rung-out towel to remove any excess water.

Measuring 1/2 cup of rice

3. One of the best ways that I have found to make your pressed sushi a consistent size is by measuring your rice each time. Take your 1/2 cup measure and moisten the inside with vinegared water so that the rice will not stick. Shake out any excess. Then measure out 1/2 cup of rice. 

Adding 1/2 cup of rice to oshibako
Pressing down 1st layer of rice
1st layer of rice pressed down

4. Spread the rice evenly in the bottom of the mold and then press down with the lid pretty firmly. 

 Refer to the pictures above.

5. Remove the lid and wipe with a towel damp with vinegared water.

Layering avocado. Make sure to like the dark green edges along the outside

6. If you are using thinly sliced cream cheese, layer it on the rice. 

7. Spread a layer of avocado. Line the dark green edges of the avocado around the outside so that they will form a dark green line in the middle of your pressed sushi. 

I will break off small pieces to fit in the corners and other areas to fill in the gaps around the edge so it will appear to be a solid dark green line around the outside when done. 

Adding 2nd layer of rice
Pressing down 2nd layer of rice
2nd layer of rice pressed down

8. Now measure another 1/2 cup of rice and spread it over the top of the avocado layer evenly. Press firmly again with the top. 

Wasabi spread over 2nd layer of rice

9. Spread wasabi over the rice.

Starting at the far end of the oshi bako, layer a piece of salmon that has been cut to the width of the box...then overlap 1/2 of the salmon with cucumber...continue alternating till top is covered
Showing top when salmon and cucumber have been layered
Pressing down the salmon and cucumber

10. Starting at the end of the box farthest away from you lay a piece of salmon (cut to the width of the box). Now overlap half of the salmon with a slice of cucumber. Keep alternating between salmon and cucumber until you cover the whole top surface. 

11. Put the top on and press firmly.

Pressing down on the center while at the same time pulling up on the box sides to remove the center
The box removed...

12. While pushing down on the top in the center, pull up on the box part of the form essentially pushing the center out and lifting off the box. 

Take a very sharp wetted sushi knife and cut down the center lengthwise
Now, slice across the oshi sushi...you can see I purposely made the cut past the cucumber to make the cut easier and so it will look better

13. Wipe your knife with the damp tea towel and carefully slice down the center of the pressed sushi (above left). If you don't want to make this slice down the center that is fine too. It's up to you. Be careful with this cut so you don't crush the delicate sushi. And be sure to use a sharp sushi knife.

*** Note ***

If you don't have a super sharp sashimi knife to make these cuts or you just would rather, you can make this cut using the tip of the knife down the center after you have pressed but before you remove it from the box. Re-press to sharpen the box sushi up a bit before removing the box if you want too also.

14. Now cut across the sushi width wise dividing it into 3 or 4 equal sections, making 6 or 8 pieces (above right).

Note that I made the cut behind the slices of cucumber to make the cut easier and so that there will be a dark green line of avocado and cucumber on that one side making it more visually appealing...

Finished salmon and cucumber oshi sushi on sushi plate

15. Arrange on a Sushi plate and garnish with ginger and wasabi. Sprinkle with flying fish roe, or finely chopped green onion, or dill and serve.  

Isn't it beautiful? And it tastes even better than it looks!

Good Job!


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David Guthrie, EzineArticles Basic Author