Ayu sushi

Thoroughly remove the scales from the sweetfish and rinse under running water. Use a knife to remove the innards from the belly, then slice along the backbone to separate the fish into three pieces. Remove the gills and belly bones, then transfer the fish to a colander and sprinkle with a pinch of salt

Leave it for about 30 minutes to release the moisture, then wipe it off thoroughly with a cloth. Soak the sweetfish in vinegar with dissolved sugar for about 10 minutes. It's ready when the surface turns slightly white

Remove from the vinegar and wipe off the moisture with a cloth. After cutting off both ends of the flesh, insert a knife into the inside of the flesh and open it like a gate

Place a dampened, wrung-out bleached cloth on top of the rolling mat, with the outside of the flesh facing downwards, and arrange the sweetfish so that they are straight. Place the flesh closed, and make sure that the lines of the backs are parallel before spreading them out

Prepare a water basin and place a portion of sushi rice slightly larger than the size of the sweetfish on top. Aim for about 150g per fish. Turn the fish over from the front and make a ball, then open the mat once to check that the fish is straight before making another ball

Shape the fish, place it on a frying pan and lightly sear the surface of the sweetfish flesh over a burner

Remove to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Hold the knife vertically and cut by moving the blade down in one go

Cut the sudachi into chrysanthemum shapes and remove the seeds. Place a sudachi between the sushi pieces and arrange on a plate. Top with chopped ginger to complete