Sushi: a second attempt

There's something rather beautiful about a lovely, fresh, raw fillet of salmon. I think it's the startlingly vivid coral colour with its creamy marbling of fat, or possibly the way a sharp knife slices through it with no resistance, as if it were butter. The same goes for tuna, beautifully dusky pink and almost translucent when sliced thinly. The two fish need nothing but a blank canvas of sticky sushi rice to enhance them. 

I realise now that I have a bit of a penchant for raw meat and fish; I like my beef blue, my venison crimson, my pigeon bloody, and my tuna and swordfish still glistening in the middle. I think this stems from a fascination with knowing what the pure, unadulterated fish/animal tastes like, with no human intervention (well, apart from the necessary killing and gutting, filleting, etc. - I'm not going to just pick a fish out of the river and munch on it, Gollum-style). 

So, tonight, a second attempt at sushi - this time nigiri sushi as well as the usual rolls. I thought this would be easier, but the rice is so irritatingly sticky that I think I'd rather just put it on the seaweed. I had to sort of quenelle it with two dessert spoons. It worked out quite nicely though, and I also made some mackerel and red pepper rolls as well. They're amazing with pickled ginger. I think out of salmon and tuna, I prefer raw salmon - it seems to have more flavour. That said, I'd eat a plate of either any day (but preferably all three).