The Complete Guide to Sushi and Sashimi

A thorough, photo-driven guide to sushi and sashimi that draws on professional kitchen expertise. The book’s 625 step-by-step photographs walk you through every technique, from sourcing and butchering whole fish to preparing sushi rice, slicing sashimi, and assembling every style of sushi and roll.

Why Start Here

This is Elliot and Cook’s definitive work, and the only book you need from them. It combines Cook’s years of professional sushi experience at Morimoto with Elliot’s classical culinary training into a single comprehensive reference. The photographic approach sets it apart: where most cookbooks give you a paragraph of text for a tricky technique, Elliot and Cook give you a sequence of photographs showing exactly what your hands, knife, and ingredients should look like at each moment.

The book covers the full spectrum of sushi and sashimi making. You will learn how to assess fish freshness at the market, how to fillet and portion different species, and how to make the cuts that define professional sashimi. The sushi section moves from basic technique through maki, uramaki, nigiri, temaki, and decorative rolls. The authors are honest about what requires practice and what you can nail on the first try.

What to Expect

A substantial 306-page reference in a practical spiral-bound format that lies flat while you cook. The difficulty level is moderate. Early chapters and simple rolls are accessible to beginners, but the book assumes you are willing to invest in good tools and quality fish. You will need a sharp knife (the authors discuss selection), a bamboo rolling mat, and access to sushi-grade fish. The tone is instructional and professional but never condescending. This is a book that grows with you, rewarding repeated use as your knife skills and confidence improve.