Shadowing Practice: Cure Salmon Sushi/Sashimi at home! | Jet Tila Official - Learn English Speaking with Video

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So let's pull the salmon out as always paper towels are your friend as a butcher or a fishmonger Um wow, this is super fresh.
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So pat everything dry for your first step Now it's time to begin the cure We're going to salt the fish first.
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So on a sheet pan I'm using kosher salt
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and I want a pretty generous coating on both sides We're gonna do the top and then we're gonna flip it over.
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I mean don't go crazy.
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We're not trying to make gravlax We just want contact with just about every piece of the salmon.
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Once that's done, it's time for it to take its first rest in the fridge.
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We're going to fridge this for about one hour.
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Next, it's time for step two, the vinegar bath.
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Check out how much moisture that's leached off the fish just from salting.
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We're going to use straight up rice vinegar.
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Don't get fancy.
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Not seasoned, regular old rice vinegar.
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So in a container that'll fit the fish perfectly, I'm gonna pour in just a bottle of rice vinegar.
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I just wanna barely cover it because we're gonna add a little ice
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and a little water so you can get about 75% coverage.
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Let the ice and the water do the rest until just covered and let's let that rest for about one hour again.
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Once that is done you can see that the fish is starting to cure from the outside in.
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I'm checking for a little kind of a hazy color
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and again I want to pat this dry very very well before we go into the freezer phase
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so pat dry completely then we're going to wrap with a
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plastic wrap completely airtight as tight as you can get it
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and then it's going to sit in the freezer for at least 48 hours you could go longer
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but you want to do at least a minimum of 48
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hours I'm doing both of my fillets here getting them nice
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and tight and then and we're gonna go let them freeze to kill all the germies inside the fish.
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The salt and the vinegar are gonna give you phenomenal flavor.
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The freezing is gonna make sure it is food safe.
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Once that's done, just slack it off from freezer to fridge.
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When it's nice and soft, we're going to unwrap it.
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You guessed it, pat it dry once again.
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And we have to cut this into sushi size pieces.
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I like to measure with my palm, about four to five inch wide.
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And we're going to cut them in half.
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And you can see the little bit of the cure.
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So we want to cut the cure and the skin
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around the fish and what's going to be left is going to be the sashimi
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or whatever you want to use for it.
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Always remove pin bones.
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I've got a little pin bone puller here
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and I like to start with the skin side
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so as I come under
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and skin the fish you'll see me open up the flesh like a flap
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and then also cut just a little bit of that cure from the side.
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I'm trying to make this a block without wasting too much meat.
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I do have to cut that top portion off.
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And this, by the way, guys, is called sakudori.
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Sakudori is the piece of rectangular fish that is ready to be cut into sushi or sashimi.
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These are very thin pieces, because this is wild caught fish
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but big commercial Scottish salmon are gonna be a lot thicker
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so you're gonna end up with a bigger block
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but this is like old-school style right here like a smaller probably 10 to 12 pound fish
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so cut all the cure around and I'm gonna demonstrate two cuts.
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First from cutting from my weak hand side on an angle this is the cut
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that would be for nigiri or the sushi fish that rides over the rice
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all right and off the right side i'm going to cut a perpendicular cut just straight blocks
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and that's going to be for a sashimi cut i just wanted to show you the two types
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so i'm going to eat them either way i can show you how to turn these into poke
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or other sushi sashimi dishes but it's
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that easy my favorite accompaniments are just a dip the soy not too much um i've got my sticks here
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and a little bit of wasabi don't judge me wasabi from
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the tube is better than the stuff that's powder well that's it thanks for real good fish
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and now you know how to turn fish from the store into sushi and sashimi enjoy

What You'll Learn

This video is a goldmine for building practical English speaking skills. You’ll practice describing step-by-step processes—perfect for IELTS speaking practice or everyday conversations where you need to explain how to do something. You’ll also learn to use casual, conversational language like “paper towels are your friend” or “don’t go crazy,” which makes your speech sound natural. Plus, you’ll pick up vocabulary for cooking and food preparation, from “kosher salt” to “pin bone puller,” expanding your real-world language toolkit.

Listen For These Sounds

The speaker uses lots of connected speech that native listeners take for granted. Notice how “gonna” (from “going to”) is used everywhere—“we’re gonna salt the fish,” “I’m gonna pour in.” This reduction is key for understanding fast, natural speech. Also, listen for linking: “pat everything dry” becomes “pa(t)-everything dry,” with the “t” sound blending into the next word. And “check out how much” links to “checkou(t)-how much,” where the “t” is soft. These sounds are tricky, but practicing with a shadowing site can help you hear and mimic them.

Say It Like a Native

To mirror the speaker’s rhythm, focus on stress and pauses. He stresses key words like “super fresh,” “generous coating,” and “food safe” to emphasize important points—copy that to make your speech clear. Pause slightly after steps, like “Once that’s done, it’s time for step two” to create a natural flow. Also, use the same casual tone: “Um wow, this is super fresh” sounds friendly, not formal. For extra practice, try shadow speak—repeat the speaker’s lines right after him, matching his speed and tone. It’s a great way to build fluency, whether you’re prepping for IELTS or just want to sound more confident in English.

Whether you’re using a shadowing site or practicing on your own, this video’s dialogue gives you real, usable English that works in kitchens—and in everyday life. So grab your phone, hit record, and start shadowing—your speaking skills will thank you!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.