Sushi Rice!

     Sushi Rice is so integral to sushi making there would be literally no such thing as "sushi" without it! Sushi is actually defined as "a Japanese dish consisting of small balls or rolls of vinegar-flavored cold cooked rice served with a garnish of raw fish, vegetables, or egg." So, in fact, vinegar-flavored rice is the most important ingredient in sushi, with the fish being more of a "garnish."
     The one thing I would disagree about in this definition is "cold" rice. In the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Chef Jiro makes a point of serving his rice warm. My favorite sushi chain in Los Angeles, Sugarfish (Sugarfishsushi.com) also serves their rice warm. Something about the slightly warm rice and cold fish makes a perfect combination of texture and sensation.

Types of Rice

There are many brands of Sushi Rice out there, but what you're looking for is a short-grained rice, preferably Japanese. I use Nishiki, because I can find it at my local grocery store and I've used it before with good success. I'm sure there are higher quality brands out there, but this one works for our purposes.

Preparation

Rinse 2 Cups of Rice thoroughly in water. 2 cups will make enough sushi for at least four people, and then some. I usually pour the rice into a strainer and run it under cold water for a couple minutes, stirring with my hands.

Add the Rice to a pot along with 2 cups of cold water. If you have a rice cooker you can use that instead, and simply follow the instructions. I don't use one though (they work great, but I've never felt the need). Bring the rice and water to a boil in a pot, then cut the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. I usually let it simmer like this for about 20 minutes.

Seasoned Rice Vinegar

Again, Sushi Rice is not simply Rice - it is flavored by "seasoned" vinegar. What that generally means is that sugar is added to the vinegar. My usual concoction is 1/2 cup of Rice Vinegar (if  you don't have Rice Vinegar, you can use White Wine Vinegar) with 1/8 cup of sugar, and 2 small teaspoons of salt (the rice should be tangy and sweet - not salty). In order to mix the vinegar, I usually put it in the microwave for a bit and then whisk in the sugar and salt to dissolve it in the hot vinegar. Alternatively, you could heat it on the stove in a small pot and whisk in the sugar and salt that way, but the microwave works just fine. Once the sugar and salt are dissolved, you want to let the vinegar cool on the counter.

Grab a Wooden Spoon

Some say that metal can react with the rice in an unpleasant way. I'm not sure about that, but I use a wooden spoon just to be on the safe side. A handy trick is to soak the wooden spoon in water for at least ten minutes, or if you don't have time, just wet it thoroughly under the sink for a moment. The dampness helps to keep the rice from sticking to the wood.

Back to the Rice

After about 20 minutes, remove the lid. Use the spoon to check to see if the bottom of the rice is dry-ish. If there is still liquid at the bottom of the pot, put the lid back on and let it sit on the low heat for another 5 minutes and then check again. The rice is done once the liquid has been fully absorbed. Once the rice is done, use the wooden spoon to poor it into a wooden, glass or ceramic bowl.

I've heard repeatedly that once the rice is ready, you should never put it in a metal bowl; something reacts and makes the rice taste off. I've never experimented with this, so I don't know if it's true, so I always use a nonmetallic bowl just to be on the safe side.
Handling the Rice

Perhaps the most important trick to handling the rice, is not to mush it. Aspiring sushi chef apprentices in Japan are rumored to spend YEARS learning how to make rice properly, before ever being allowed to touch fish or make sushi. To many, it's more of an art form than a culinary endeavor. But all that aside, neither you or I are going to spend the next decade making sushi rice everyday, so here is the basics of what you need to know:

The number one thing to remember is to be gentle with the rice. Each and every grain should be treated with respect (okay, now I'm getting silly), with the ultimate goal being that the rice is perfect, and no grains are smashed or mushed.

As I said, pour the rice gently with a wooden spoon into your bowl. Take your seasoned vinegar and begin to pour it over the rice slowly. A lot of sushi chefs use the spoon or a spatula and hold the spoon over the rice, then pour the vinegar over the spoon - this helps spread the vinegar around the rice.

Once the vinegar has been applied to the rice, comes the most complicated step - mixing the rice and vinegar. A lot of sushi chefs suggest making a "cutting" motion with your wooden spoon. What this means is you sort of "slice" through the rice at various angles. Since the last thing you want to do is mash up the rice with your spoon, by gently cutting or slicing through the rice you can separate it without damaging the rice. What I usually do in addition to some of these cutting motions, is take my spoon and lift the rice from the bottom and fold it over itself. I never press down on the rice, I simply lift it up a little and let it fall back down on itself. By doing this all around the bowl, you can get the rice combined nicely with the vinegar without crushing the rice grains. Whole, undamaged rice grains simply make for a better presentation and a more pleasant texture when eating.

Cooling the Rice

Never put Sushi Rice in the fridge. Ever. If you have leftover rice after your sushi dinner, you can put it in the fridge, but just don't use it for sushi the next day - mainly because it won't be as sticky anymore. You can still eat it or top it with stirfry or something, but it won't be good for sushi.

The most traditional method for cooling the rice is one of those little hand held foldable Japanese fans, that are usually well decorated. It's best to fan the rice while you're still cutting the rice to combine it with the vinegar. I don't go too crazy with fanning the rice, because I do like to serve the rice at room temperature, or even a little warmer.

The main thing is that you want to cool the rice enough so that it doesn't keep cooking (FYI for the cooking novice - when you remove food from heat, it continues to cook. If you want perfect scrambled eggs for example, remove the eggs from the pan a moment or two before they look fully cooked. The carry-over heat will finish the eggs on your plate.) So again, cool the rice just enough to bring down the temperature so that it is no longer hot. A little warmth is okay though. Place a damp towel over the bowl as a cover, and use it for sushi in the next few hours.

And that's it! Maybe these are a lot of instructions for making rice, but again, aspiring sushi chefs can take years to learn how to do it properly, so hopefully these instructions can get you started.

Konpai!