How To Make Box Sushi Or Hako Sushi

How To Make Box Sushi Or Hako Sushi

Box sushi, or hako sushi, is sushi pressed into the shape of a box. Master Chef Andy Matsuda, founder of the Sushi Chef Institute in Los Angeles, shows us how to make both shrimp and salmon varieties of hako sushi.

You Will Need:

• 2 medium shrimp
• 60 g salmon
• 280 g sushi rice
• 2 tbsp furikake
• 2 tbsp tobiko (fish eggs)
• 14 g ginger
• 1 cutting board
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 box sushi press
• 1 bowl of water

---

Step 1:

Slice Shrimp

First, we will start with the shrimp by delicately cutting both shrimp so as to make each in a butterfly pattern.

---

Step 2:

Place Shrimp

After first wetting your hands with water, place the cut shrimp in the bottom of the box form.

---

Step 3:

Layer Fish Eggs With Rice

Evenly spread a spoonful or two of fish eggs, or tobiko, onto the placed shrimp in the center of the box. Next, wet your hands which will help mold the sushi rice. Take a palmful of the sushi rice and place it over the fish eggs, pressing it firmly around all edges of the box form. Now, spread another layer of fish eggs followed by a final layer of sushi rice.

---

Step 4:

Press, Mold, and Cut

Take the top of the box form and slightly wet it. Place it on top of the box, pressing down firmly. Rotate the box form a few times as you do so as to evenly compact the form. Carefully remove the box lid, gently placing the newly molded box sushi on your cutting board. Cut the molded sushi into six equal sized pieces.

---

Step 5:

Prep Tuna and Rice

Now it is time to make tuna hako sushi by first slicing four equally sized pieces of fresh tuna and placing them evenly on the bottom of the box sushi press. In the tuna version of hako sushi, the sushi rice is mixed a combination of sesame seeds and sea weed called furikake. So take five ounces of rice and thoroughly mix it with two tablespoons of furikake.

---

Step 6:

Press, Mold, and Cut

Now press the rice and furikake into the sushi box form and cover. Rotate and press evenly as before with the shrimp, ending by again cutting into six equal pieces.

---

Step 7:

Arrange & Serve

You're almost ready to eat, but first you need to artfully arrange the shrimp and tuna hako sushi on your plate and add some ginger for a garnish. Sushi is just as much about looks as taste, after all. And voila! Time to eat and impress your friends.

Done.