Rolled sushi is probably one of the most recognizable Japanese preparations for most people in the United States, where sushi restaurants have become extremely popular. This recipe makes a traditional roll, in which the chosen seafood items are placed in the center of the rice. It is very common in the United States for the fish to be compressed onto the exterior of the rolls as well, to show the vivid colors of the chosen seafood items.
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe of Su-Meshi
- 10 sheets Nori
- 1 Cucumber, peeled. seeded, and cut into ¼-inch strips (6 inches long)
- 1 Avocado, seeded and sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 10 Green Onions (about 1 bunch)
- 1 lb Various Fish and Shellfish for fillings (such as crabmeat, shrimp, salmon, tuna, etc.
- 6 oz Pickled Ginger
- 1 oz Wasabi Powder, hydrated to form paste
- 20 fl oz Soy Sauce
How to Make It
- Place a nori sheet onto a bamboo sushi mat on a clean work surface, and place a gallon-size container of hot water next to your work area.
- Dip clean hands in the hot water, take a handful of rice, and press it onto the nori sheet. Continue to press rice onto the sheet until all but 1.5 inches of nori sheet opposite you, and .5 inch of nori sheet closest to you, is covered with ¼ inch of rice.
- Place the desired filling in the center of the nori sheet on top of the compressed rice (don’t put too much filling inside the roll, or it will be overfilled; if everything is cut into ¼-inch strips. you should be able to add 4–5 different items).
- To roll the sushi, hold the corners of the nori sheet and the bamboo sheet with your thumb and index finger; using your middle and ring finger, hold the filling in place while bringing the nori roll closest to you up and over, to the end of the compressed rice on the side farthest from you.
- Once you have begun to make the roll, remove the bamboo mat from the top of the sushi and roll out the remaining nori sheet.
- Move the sushi roll to the center of the sushi mat; roll with the mat again and compress with your hands to tightly pack contents.
- Once the sushi roll has been formed, cut it by dipping a clean, sharp knife in hot water between each cut to prevent sticking and tearing of the roll.
- Serve the cut rolls with pickled ginger, wasabi paste, and soy sauce.