Description
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- rice cooker (or pot)
- three small pots (or one that you wash twice)
- two small bowls
- squeeze bottles (or tablespoons)
- two medium-sized bowls
- bamboo rolling mat (called Makisu)
- plastic wrap
- large bowl
- whisk
- drinking glass
- two flat dishes
- two forks
- foam spoon
Ingredients
Units Scale
SUSHI RICE
- 150 grams sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
LIGHT SAUCE
- 50 grams mayonnaise
- 10 grams Sriracha (or any other hot sauce you like)
DARK SAUCE
- 50 grams soy sauce
- 50 grams Mirin
- 50 grams white sugar
TEMPURA BATTER
- 100 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams corn starch
- 1 egg
- 100 milliliters ice-cold water
- 1/2 tsp salt
FILLING
- 150 grams salmon filet
- 2 tbsp Sriracha (or any other hot sauce you like)
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- 2 full-sized Nori sheets
- 70 grams Panko (or regular bread crumbs)
- 500 milliliters deep-frying oil
- sesame seeds
- spring onions
Instructions
- Let’s start with the sushi rice: Wash the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This is important as it removes all the starch and prevents the rice from becoming mushy. Now, place the rice in a rice cooker or pot and add 400ml (1 + 2/3 cup) of water. I use a little less than 1:1.5 ratio rice to water, as there’s still water left on the rice from washing. Let the rice cook.
- To get that authentic sushi flavor, the rice will be soaked in a sauce. For this, heat rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pot until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside to cool. As it cools, the sauce will thicken slightly.
- Now, let’s prepare the salmon filling. Rinse the salmon under cold water, dry it, then chop it into rough cubes. In a bowl, mix it with Sriracha, and it’s ready. Keep the salmon chilled until use.
- By now, the rice should be cooked. Transfer it to a medium-sized bowl and pour over the rice vinegar-sugar-salt sauce. Mix everything until the sauce is distributed and absorbed by the rice. Let the rice cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the topping sauces. For the light sauce, simply mix mayonnaise and Sriracha, thinning it with a bit of water to make it easier to spread. For the dark sauce, heat soy sauce, Mirin, and sugar in a small pan or pot until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. Once the sauce is cold, it will thicken a bit. I like to pour the sauces into squeeze bottles, but you can also spoon them over the sushi later or use them for dipping. Keep the sauces chilled until use.
- In the meantime, you can prepare your work surface. Take a bamboo rolling mat, also known as Makisu, and wrap it on both sides with a layer of plastic wrap. Press the ends well onto the mat. Then fill a medium-sized bowl with a little water, as you’ll need it for your fingers to prevent the rice from sticking to them. Then you’ll need a cutting board and a sharp knife to halve the rolls. Finally, halve your Nori sheets and set them aside.
- Once the rice is cold, you can start rolling. Place the Makisu with the sticks horizontally in front of you. Place a Nori sheet with the shiny, smooth side down on the bamboo mat. Dip your fingers in the water and take about 1 heaped tablespoon of rice, spreading it with your fingers on the Nori sheet. It takes a bit of practice to handle the rice, but just take your time and moisten your fingers again if it becomes difficult to spread the rice. I press and push it in the direction I want it. I leave about 1/2-1cm (0.2″-0.4″) free at the top edge of the Nori sheet. When the rice is evenly distributed, turn the Nori sheet over so that the rice side is now facing down. Place a strip of the salmon filling in the center of the Nori sheet, a bit more than a finger thick. Now roll the Nori sheet so that the bottom end lands directly over the salmon filling. Then press everything tightly from the outside, then close the roll with a twist and press again. Take the finished sushi roll and halve it on the cutting board. Proceed the same way with the other rolls and set them aside.
- Now prepare the tempura batter. Mix flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. In a glass, stir the egg and ice-cold water starting with 100ml (3.5 oz) of water, and pour it into the dry ingredients. Quickly whisk everything until it’s creamy. If the batter is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water and stir. We aim for a creamy-thick consistency. Better too thick than too thin, so really only adjust the water carefully. It also depends on how much liquid the egg brings. Pour the batter into a flat dish. Do the same with the Panko.
- Now you can bread the rolls. Take two forks and place the first roll in the tempura batter, distributing the batter over the entire roll. You can also gently turn it. Lift it up and let the excess batter drip off. Now place the roll directly into the Panko and press it onto the roll with the forks. You should now have a compact roll where the batter adheres well and nothing drips. Bread the rolls one by one and set aside.
- Now heat the frying oil to 190°C/375°F in a small, deep pot. Make sure to use enough oil so that the rolls can be completely submerged. I used solid vegetable fat in block form. Once the temperature is reached, place two rolls at a time into the oil. Be careful as the oil may bubble when the rolls are added. It’s best to use a foam spoon for this. The temperature will then drop to about 175°C/347°F. Fry the rolls in the oil for a total of 5 minutes. Each roll only absorbs about 10g (1/3 oz) of fat. I weighed the fat before and after 😀 This is because the fat is hot enough to instantly seal the crust. That’s why it’s also important to bring the fat to the right temperature. If the fat is too cold, the roll absorbs more fat and becomes soggy and not crispy.
- When the rolls are done frying, remove them from the fat and let them drain on a rack and cool slightly. Cut the rolls into 6 pieces each and arrange them on a plate. Next, drizzle the light and dark sauces over the rolls in a zigzag direction. Finally, you can sprinkle some sesame and finely chopped spring onions as a topping.
Notes
The calorie information may vary depending on the product used, country and region.
- Passive Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 55 min
