Spicy Tuna Roll

The spicy tuna roll is another american-style dish that has become a sushi staple. I can't think of any sushi restaurants (that serve specialty rolls) that don't have spicy tuna rolls on their menu. While learning any kind of sushi requires a lot of dedication and practice, this is a roll that is relatively quick and easy to make.

You will need:
-2 cups sushi rice (dry measure) Recipe Here
-about 1 lb spicy tuna. Recipe Here
-4 nori sheets
-wasabi & gari
-roasted sesame seeds

Optional ingredients:
-avocado
-cucumber

Tools:
-makisu
-knife
-plastic wrap

Spicy Tuna Recipe

The spicy tuna recipe is separated from the spicy tuna roll recipe to provide a reference for future posts that might involve spicy tuna.

Spicy tuna was invented in California around the 70's sometime after the california roll was created. Though it is not a traditional sushi recipe, it is used in many sushi dishes around the world. You can use this recipe for rolls, hand rolls, donburi and many other dishes. (Spicy tuna roll recipe here)

Ingredients:

-1 lb sashimi grade tuna

-1/4 cup Sriracha sauce (or other hot chili sauce)

-1 tablespoon mayonnaise (japanese mayo preferred)

These measurements are not set in stone. Adjust the hot sauce and mayonnaise portions to your liking. I like my spicy tuna pretty spicy, so I use a little more hot sauce. I keep this recipe nice and simple because I think it provides a cleaner taste, and because it's the way I was taught. Some optional ingredients are chili flakes or sesame oil. For non-traditional dishes such as this, there is a lot more freedom in the ingredients you choose to use!

I got this tuna from Marukai market in Costa Mesa. Marukai is a really great Japanese market that has locations in California, Hawaii, and Japan. You can also check out Mistuwa or other Japanese markets for some packaged sashimi grade fish. 

When choosing packaged fish from a market, all you really have to go by is the color of the fish. Try to find something with plenty of color and free from defects. (This tuna is slightly lighter in picture than in person) 

Spicy tuna is actually made from left over tuna parts that are scraped from the bones or are too oddly shaped to be used for sashimi or nigiri sushi. It is also typically lower quality than the tuna you would use for nigiri. Marukai packages these tuna parts and sells them for about $10/lb, which I think is great. Normally, sashimi grade tuna sells at the markets for about $30-$35/lb. If you're paying these prices for fresh tuna, it would be a waste to use it for spicy tuna. (At fish markets in L.A. you should be able to find tuna for about $15-$20/lb.)

Using a sharp knife, mince the tuna finely.

Pour sriracha and mayo into a bowl and mix. Adjust the recipe to your own taste.

Mix the spicy mayo with the tuna.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for later use.

California Roll Recipe - Part 2 (Making)

Here is part 2 of the California Roll recipe. Now that we have all our ingredients ready for the California Roll, we can go ahead and start putting it together.

(Check out Part 1 here)

Take the nori and lay it on the cutting board. Please keep in mind that nori does have a "shiny" side that is used for presentation. Although it isn't necessary for rice outside rolls, I would get into the habit of making sure the shiny side is faced down.

Next, wet your hands by dipping two fingers in the temizu, then spread it all over both hands in order to keep the rice from sticking.. Temizu is made by mixing a 95% Water/5% Vinegar solution. Including some ice in the solution also helps to avoid sticking rice. (I have heard of some sushi chefs using gloves and rubbing a little bit of mayo all over, but I personally would advise against that.)

California Roll Recipe - Part 1 (Preparation)

Okay. I really didn't want to have to do this, but I am separating the California Roll recipe into 2 parts for a couple reasons. First, there are a lot of of pictures and steps I have for the recipe. Second, the method for spreading rice, rolling, and cutting the roll is very specific. For this reason, I wanted to make a post that people can refer back to in order to learn the technique for making rolls in the future. So here is this first part of the recipe for California Rolls.

As you may already know, California Rolls are not traditional Japanese style sushi. While most traditional sushi can date back a few hundred years ago, the California Roll was invented merely 40 years ago, around the 60's-70's. Still, it has become a sushi staple around the world ever since. California rolls are great for parties, fun to make, and they are a great place to start for learning to make sushi!

Ingredients:

-2 cups of sushi rice , dry measure(makes about 4 rolls).

-4 imitation crabsticks

-1 cucumber

-1 avocado

-4 nori sheets

-roasted sesame seeds

-wasabi & gari

Tools:

-makisu (bamboo mat)

-knife (a very sharp one)

-plastic wrap

A picture of everything you will need. (sushi rice not shown)

Sushi Rice Recipe

Sushi chefs in Japan train for years just to master the art of making sushi rice alone. Their recipe, method, and technique for making sushi rice is so precious that they often do not allow anyone else in the kitchen to make the rice. Every sushi chef has different ingredients and techniques for their rice. These are the methods that I have been taught for making sushi rice.

First you will need:
-Hangiri (wooden tub for mixing sushi)If you don't have one, I suppose a very large, wide bowl should do just fine as a substitute
-Rice paddle
-Bowl for transferring sushi

-2 cups medium/short-grain white rice (dry measure)
-1/3 cup Sushi-Zu (Recipe for sushi-zu is below)


Sushi-Zu Recipe:
Mix the following ingredients in a container.
-7 part rice vinegar
-5 part white sugar
-1 part salt (2 parts if you're using sea salt)
-1 piece konbu (dried kelp)

Cover the sushi-zu and leave it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 weeks. This will allow all the flavors to meld together. If you're running short on time, you may also combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, until the sugar and salt dissolve. You can always double up, or make more sushi-zu in advance if you're planning on making a lot of sushi in the near future.


Now to make the sushi rice:

Take your hangiri, and using a wet cloth, soak the wood all around the bottom and edges. This will prevent the rice from sticking while you're mixing.

How to Make Rice

For most people, knowing how to make rice isn't really considered a skill that needs to be reviewed (especially if you're Asian). However, you would be surprised as to how many people make mistakes with the simple procedure of making rice. Also, there are so many different ways to make rice for so many different types of tastes. Some like their rice dry, while others like it soft and mushy. For sushi rice, we need a texture that is distinct and firm, yet moist both inside and out. Remember, good sushi starts with good vinegar rice, and good vinegar rice starts with good rice.

For sushi, you will need some medium/short-grain white rice. Most sushi restaurants use short grain rice but medium grain is a fine substitute.
I personally like to buy Shirakiku or Nishiki brand, but it doesn't really matter what brand you buy.

So let's take a look at the process of making rice.

Measure rice. In this picture, I measured 3 cups of rice into the rice pot. At this point, it doesn't really matter how many cups you choose to use right now. When making sushi, however, you will need to keep track of how many cups of dry rice you are using.

Main Ingredients, Tools, and Kitchenware

Welcome! Here you will find information, pictures, and detailed recipes to various dishes found in many sushi restaurants. Recipes will include sushi and other popular Japanese dishes. Though it does take years of training and discipline to fully master the art of making sushi, I believe good sushi can also be made at home with the right tools, ingredients, and knowledge.

Dating back centuries ago in Japan, when vinegar rice was used as a preservation method for fish, sushi has now turned into a worldwide delicacy. The essence of sushi remains simple: Good vinegar rice complimented by a good quality topping. As long as you keep this in mind, you can make decent sushi at home!

First let's take a look at the main ingredients, tools, and kitchenware.

Dark Soy Sauce - I use Kikkoman brand. I've noticed other brands may be too sweet for certain recipes.

Light Soy Sauce - This is saltier than the dark soy sauce. It is used mainly for the lighter color.

Tamari Soy Sauce - Slightly thicker, and sweeter. This is used for sauces such as eel sauce or teriyaki sauce.