Growing up in Iowa really limited my options to explore top notch sushi, so when we first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I was eager to try the best of the best…and I got HOOKED. Just in time of course, for our next PCS to drop and send us packing to Del Rio, Texas. Back to sushi square one, the only difference this time is that my husband and his family had been making their own sushi at home for years, so we knew we had that to fall back on.
With the world of Amazon, making sushi at home is truly possible almost anywhere! It’s a perfect date night with just you and your significant other OR you can invite over friends and do it as a group. It keeps everyone busy and opens up the opportunity to try other people’s delicious combinations. Have fun with it and remember, the more you practice the better you’ll roll!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Bamboo rollers
- Saran wrap
- Wax paper
- Non-stick spray
- Sushi rice
- Nori
- Rice wine vinegar
- Fillings – we typically use: canned tuna (mixed with sriracha to make spicy tuna), imitation crab, shrimp (cooked), smoked salmon, green onion, avocado, cream cheese
- Tempura batter – I like my rolls fried tempura style, if you don’t, skip this ingredient
OPTIONAL, BUT HELPFUL:
- Rice cooker – this is one of those items we registered for when we got married and I doubted its utility big time, but BOY has it saved us a lot of hassle. Worth every penny!
STEP 1: COOK YOUR RICE
his is important because before you cook it, you have to wash it. Washing it helps give it the consistency you need to successfully roll it. We just rinse ours in a strainers, running our fingers through it until the water runs clear. Once you have it washed, cook it according to the directions (or use your rice cooker). When it’s finished cooking, lay it out on wax paper and sprinkle it with the rice wine vinegar. Let it cool.
Note: we like to cook our rice and let it cool at least a few hours before we want to roll.
STEP 2: PREPARE
Cut, wash, cook and put together the fillings you will be using, so all you will need to do is grab what you want and toss it into your roll when it’s time! If you’re going to tempura, this is also the point we mix up our batter for that and start heating vegetable oil in a pan to fry the roll.
STEP 3: READY THE ROLLER
We wrap our roller in saran wrap, nothing fancy, just get it wrapped!
STEP 4: RICE YOUR ROLL
Regardless of how you want your roll (rice on the outside or nori on the outside) put your nori down first and then spread a nice layer of rice on top of it, leave 1-1.5 inches of space at the very top of the nori sheet without rice. At this point, flip the nori sheet over (so the riced side is down) if you want rice on the very outside of your finished product.
STEP 5: STUFF
Let your culinary creative juices run wild, stuff your roll with your favorite items! We aim to keep it less than 1-1.5 inches wide on the sheet and place the fillings just under halfway up the sheet of nori. We’ve found this makes it easier to roll.
STEP 6: ROLL
Practice will make perfect, but the best advice I can give is to be firm without applying too much pressure and squeezing out the insides of your roll. I like to cut off the excess nori/rice once the roll is completely wrapped.
STEP 7: TEMPURA
Your oil should be warm enough that if you toss a little of the tempura batter in, it will start to fry. Once it’s there, roll the sushi in the batter you prepared earlier and place it directly into the oil. Fry until your roll is a golden brown color.
STEP 8: CUT AND SERVE
Use a very sharp knife and wet it – I know that sounds weird, but if you just dip it in a little water before each cut, it will cut through the rice so much easier! At this point we also add fun toppings and garnish – spicy mayo, wasabi (we use the powdered stuff, but you can also buy it in a tube), green onion, yum yum sauce, etc.
ENJOY!
We truly love the memories we’ve made doing this activity with family and friends, and each time we’ve done it we’ve tried something new, which has ended in both delicious and laughable outcomes. If you think this might be a little too much for you as a first timer, a WAF on Instagram mentioned that they’ve used a fresh fit sushi kit before from Catalina Offshore Products.
Regardless, have fun with it and don’t forget to tag us in your sushi night pictures on Facebook or Instagram!
