Sushi School: Tuna Roll

Making sushi at home can be a super fun activity and much more affordable than dining out.  Our videos today showcase Chef Shirley Cheng from the Culinary Institute of America, demonstrating an easy recipe for making tuna maki, aka a tuna roll.  The first video is very short and discusses the preparation of the short grain rice, which can be made via a rice cooker or on the stove.  The second video is a presentation of the assembly and rolling of the maki itself, and she serves the roll sliced and plated beautifully with wasabi, ginger, and julienned daikon radish. Depending on where you live, the ingredients and the bamboo sushi mat may be found in a typical grocery store, Whole Foods, or any Asian market. Interesting food for thought that Shirley mentions: sushi chef training in Japan requires 3 years of study.

The beauty of this basic maki technique is that you can be creative and craft your roll however you wish!  Substitute salmon for tuna, cucumber for avocado, or add shredded carrots.  Itadakimasu (let’s eat)!

Read on for the videos and recipes.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Shirley Cheng and Epicurious:

Sushi Rice

* 2 cups short-grain white rice (sometimes labeled “sushi rice”)

* 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

* 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar

* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt

* 1 (6-by 3-inch) piece kombu* (dried kelp), wiped lightly with damp cloth

In large bowl, wash rice in several changes of cold water until water is clear. Transfer to strainer and drain well.

In medium saucepan over moderately high heat, combine rice and 2 cups water. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. (Alternatively, steam in rice cooker according to manufacturer’s instructions.) Let rice stand, covered, 10 minutes.

While rice is cooking, in small saucepan over moderate heat, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, and kombu. Bring to simmer, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved (do not let mixture boil). Remove from heat, discard kombu, and cool liquid to room temperature.

Turn cooked rice out into large nonreactive bowl. Cool by fanning with small plate and turning over with chopsticks or spoon until steam stops rising from surface. Gradually drizzle vinegar mixture over rice, continuing to fan and turn, until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooled to room temperature and shiny. (Rice may be made up to 6 hours ahead and stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap. Do not refrigerate.)

Maki Roll

* 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise

* 4 (8 1/4- by 7 1/4-inch) sheets roasted nori (dried seaweed), cut in half crosswise

* 4 cups prepared sushi rice

* 1/4 cup wasabi paste

* 1/2 pound sushi-grade yellowfin or ahi tuna, cut into 3/4-inch strips

* 1/2 cup sliced pickled ginger (gari)*

* 1 small daikon radish, peeled and julienned using mandoline

* 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned using mandoline

* Soy sauce for dipping

Fill large bowl with ice water and lemon slices.

Place sushi mat on cutting board with slats running crosswise. Arrange 1 sheet nori, shiny side down, on mat, lining up long edge of sheet with edge of mat nearest you. Lightly moisten hands with lemon water, then gently spread about 3/4 cup rice onto nori in even layer, leaving 1/2-inch border on long end opposite you.

Brush 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste in thin horizontal line across rice about 1 inch from side nearest you. Arrange about 1/8 of tuna strips in horizontal line atop wasabi line, cutting tuna as necessary to fit from side to side.

Beginning with edge nearest you, lift mat up with thumbs, holding filling in place with fingers, and fold mat over filling so that upper and lower edges of rice meet. Squeeze gently but firmly along length of roll and tug top edge of mat away from you to tighten. (Nori border will still be visible below top edge of mat.) Open mat and roll log forward 1/4 turn, then fold mat over again and squeeze gently but firmly to seal nori border. Repeat to form remaining rolls.

Transfer 1 roll, seam side down, to cutting board. Dip sharp knife into lemon water, shaking off excess. Slice roll in half, then cut each half into 3 pieces. Slice remaining rolls in same manner. Serve immediately with remaining wasabi paste, ginger, daikon, carrots, and soy sauce.