I use this website as my resource for making the rice, and the rest you can just kind of improvise. That's the great thing about making your own rolls. You can put literally anything in there, smother it in spicy mayo, douse it in soy sauce, and it will be delish. And since we use brown rice instead of white, I feel like these are a leetle bit healthier. (So you can smother it in spicy mayo.)
Here we go. Get those chopsticks out. (Or in a pinch, run to your local Chinese restaurant and grab some off the hostess' desk. Just kidding I would never do that again.)
If you're making this for the first time, you might have to make two trips: one to a grocery store that carries sashimi-grade fish, and the other to an Asian market. Or maybe the first grocery store will have everything. Places like Whole Foods will usually carry everything you need, but you'll end up paying way more for things like ginger and nori sheets (the seaweed wrappers) that Asian markets tend price much more reasonably.
You'll need short-grain rice and rice vinegar. I also add a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil because it is delicious.
This was the first time we had used short-grain brown rice instead of white, and it turned out really well. You just have to cook it longer (about 30+ mins vs. 10 or so for white).
I started with one cup of rice, which makes about 3-4 rolls once it's cooked. And there really isn't anything too tricky about cooking the rice. You just have to keep an eye on in to make sure you don't burn it, like any rice, and then just mix in the vinegar (and sesame oil, in this case) when it's cooled a bit.
Then you bring in the fancy equipment, aka wax paper and a spoon, and spread a layer of rice over the seaweed. Just make sure you put the shiny side of the wrapper down and leave about 1/2 inch riceless at the top so the roll will stick on itself. Then spread and smush to cover the wrapper.
Now for the filling. You'll want to cut your pieces long and skinny. This roll is filled with tuna, avocado, carrot, and spicy mayo. I place my ingredients toward one end so they get wrapped tightly in the roll and use two hands to tuck everything in (except when I am taking a picture of it).
That's lookin real nice.
To make the rolls easier to cut I throw them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool, and this would be a good time to whip up some spicy mayo if you didn't put any in the roll. This stuff is legit. It's basically 1/4 c of mayo, 1 tsp of Sriracha (you can adjust as needed based on how spicy you want it), and a clove of minced garlic.
Nom nom nom. Time to cut the roll.
I learned the hard way that your knife needs to be very sharp when you cut the roll. And if some pieces fall apart, it ain't no thang.
It is worth buying wasabi paste and pickled ginger to go along with your roll, if you like to eat it at sushi restaurants. You will feel very fancy, and the roll will taste that much more delicious. Plus it'll keep in your fridge for a long time until your next sushi night.
Cost breakdown
Here's the best part: You only need a small amount of sushi to make your rolls. I bought 1/3 lb of fresh, sushi-grade tuna for $6 and it made 4 rolls. Add $1 more each for the (organic, brown) rice and avocado, and since I already had the condiments in my pantry, the cost for this dinner was less than $10. Our favorites are variations on spicy tuna rolls and smoked salmon/cream cheese/green onion rolls. You can also skip the fish altogether and just make veggie, chicken, or shrimp rolls. I even saw a mom bust out some avocado rolls for her kids during a playdate. Brilliant.
Since we've learned to make our own rolls, we rarely go to overpriced sushi restaurants anymore. (Or is that because we have a 1-year old? Who are we kidding.) Now if I could only learn how to make tempura crunchies...
No comments:
Post a Comment