The first time I had sushi was in Sydney Australia when I took my study abroad trip in college. I was uncertain about the idea of eating raw fish… Will it taste weird? Will the texture be off putting? As it turns out, sushi and I must have been long lost friends! I loved the flavor explosion. In a roll, the majority of the texture comes from the rice and veggies. The rice is seasoned and sauces are used to add flare and flavor. If you have never tried sushi I highly recommend it. Most restaurants have varieties that use cooked fish and seafood if the raw aspect sends you screaming.
At home, I always make sushi with cooked fish and seafood for multiple reasons. 1) You should use sushi grade fish if you want to eat it raw, and in the Midwest, that’s hard to find. 2) Sushi grade fish is much more expensive than other fish because you are paying for a sure thing, meat without parasites that has been handled properly. 3) I’m not a trained sushi chef and don’t want to give my family food poisoning. 4) I have an ample supply of fish that I am always looking for creative ways to use.
For this simple roll, I used smoked trout. I love how the subtle smokiness of the fish pairs with the salty seasoning in the rice. Cream cheese and cucumber finishes the roll with a bit of crunch and creaminess. The ingredients are simple, but putting together the roll can be tricky. Therefore, I’ve compiled my list of tips to help you master your first sushi roll .
- I have read that you should rinse the uncooked rice until in runs clear. I have tried rinsing and not rinsing and found no difference. I therefore choose not to rinse.
- Cool the cooked rice in a wooden or glass bowl and use a wooden spoon to stir in the seasoning. Using metal can affect the flavor of the rice.
- Always put the rice onto the rough side on the nori sheet. It will stick better to the rough side and the smooth side will have good presentation.
- Cover your bamboo rolling mat to keep it from getting wet, which can spoil the mat. You can use a gallon zip top bag or plastic wrap. I find the zip top bag easier. I hand wash the bag with the mat zipped inside, then it’s ready to go next time you want sushi.
- Press the rice evenly onto the nori sheet leaving gaps on the top and bottom (see recipe and photo below). Make sure the outer edges get covered all the way to the edge of the roll with an even layer of rice or the outer pieces of sushi will lack filling and fall flat.
- Use a little water (simply a moist finger) on the top edge of the nori sheet to help it to seal. Too much water will cause the nori to fall apart.
- If some pieces of filling fall out of the ends while you are rolling, stuff them back in there! Keep each piece nice and full for presentation.
- Use a wet cloth to wipe the knife blade between each cut; the rice will make the knife sticky, which will make it difficult to make smooth cuts if you don’t wipe the blade.
- I like to use sriracha on one roll to make it spicy. Then I split rolls between two people so you can have two different types of sushi in one sitting!
- Buy small packages of nori sheets because they can go stale quickly.
- I recommend buying pickled ginger that does not contain dye. Some pickled gingers turn pink due to the variety of ginger used. Others are dyed.
- To make your own wasabi paste use 2 parts wasabi powder and 1 part water (1 tsp powder and 1/2 tsp water is enough for 2 rolls).
Spread the rice evenly over the nori leaving 1/2 in gap on the bottom and a 1 inch gap on the top. Place filling 1 inch above the bottom of the rice.
Use this picture guide to help you learn to roll sushi. Pictures run left to right and illustrate the instructions given in the recipe. Enjoy!
- ¾ cup short grained white rice (or 1 cup with the rice cooker measuring cup)
- 15 TBS water (or 1 ¼ cups with the rice cooker measuring cup)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 TBS sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 nori seaweed sheets
- 2 TBS cream cheese
- 4 oz smoked trout or salmon, flaked
- 2 inches cucumber, thinly sliced
- Sriracha, optional
- Wasabi paste
- Pickled ginger
- Soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker. Transfer to a wooden or glass bowl and cool to room temperature (about 3 hours). Do not try and cool in the refrigerator because any condensation will keep the rice from being sticky.
- Mix together rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved as much as possible. Stir into cooled rice.
- Place a bamboo rolling mat into a gallon size zip top bag or wrap in plastic wrap to keep it clean.
- On top of your lined bamboo mat, place a nori sheet smooth surface down and place ½ of the rice onto the rough side of the sheet. Spread the rice out over the sheet leaving a ½ inch gap on the bottom and a 1 inch gap on the top (see photos). Make sure the rice covers the side edges well or the end pieces will lack filling. I use the rice paddle from the cooker to distribute, but you can also use your hands. Keep your hands wet using a bowl of water to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers.
- About 1 inch up from the bottom of the rice, evenly line up your cucumber, trout, cream cheese, and sriracha if using (see photos).
- Using the bamboo mat, flip the bottom edge of the roll over the filling ingredients. Press down and squeeze the roll in a circle with your fingers on the front side and thumbs on the back side.
- Run a moist finger over the top (1 inch) edge of the nori sheet to help it stick to itself. Don't use too much water or the nori will fall apart.
- Using the bamboo mat to keep pressure on the roll, twist the sushi forward (like your rolling a sheet of paper into a tube) until the top edge of the nori meets the outside of the roll to create a seal. Press with your fingers on the front side and thumbs on the back side in a slightly upward turning motion to keep the roll in a neat circle.
- Repeat with remaining nori sheet, rice and filling ingredients.
- Let completed rolls rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Cut each roll into 8 pieces. I like to cut them in half, cut the halves in half, and cut the quarters in half.
- Use a very sharp knife and try to make each cut in one smooth motion. Use a wet cloth to wipe the knife blade between each cut; the rice will make the knife sticky, which will make it difficult to make smooth cuts if you don’t wipe the blade.
- Serve the sushi immediately with soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger.
