Temaki Sushi (Hand Roll)

1. Before You Start: Please note that it takes at least 90 minutes to make sushi rice. For step-by-step instructions with video, see my recipe How to Make Sushi Rice. Note that 2¼ cups (450 g, 3 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 6⅔ cups (990 g) of cooked rice. You must use Japanese short-grain white rice; otherwise, your sushi will fall apart. Why not brown rice? Please read my post on why brown rice is not ideal for sushi.

To Prepare the Vegetables

1. Let‘s prepare a tray of vegetable fillings.
2. Remove the stems of shiso leaves (perilla/ooba). Cut off the root ends of the kaiware daikon radish sprouts and rinse thoroughly under water.
3. Peel Japanese or Persian cucumbers to create a striped pattern. Then, cut off both ends. Cut them in half lengthwise.
4. It‘s best to remove the cucumber seeds as they contain moisture. Cut the cucumber halves in half again lengthwise and remove the seeds with a knife.
5. Alternatively, you can scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the cucumbers into 3-inch (7.4-cm) lengths. Then, cut lengthwise into thin strips.
6. Cut the takuan (pickled daikon radish) into 3-inch (7.4-cm) lengths. Cut the takuan into slabs, then thin sticks.

To Prepare the Sashimi

1. Let‘s prepare a large platter of sashimi-grade fish. If you want to avoid cutting the sashimi yourself, ask a fishmonger at a Japanese grocery store to cut the raw fish for temaki sushi (into long sticks instead of sashimi-style slices).
2. Remove the sashimi-grade fish of your choice from the refrigerator. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. If your sashimi block is long, cut it about 3 inches (7.4 cm) in length.
3. Cut the sashimi block(s) lengthwise into slabs, then long sticks.
4. Here, I‘m cutting tuna and hamachi (yellowtail) into long sticks.

To Prepare the Nori

1. Right before you start eating, cut 10 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed) in half for 20 restaurant-style, cone-shaped rolls or in quarters for 40 home-style, taco-shaped rolls. Store the nori in the bag to keep it from turning stale.

To Set Up the Table

1. At the table, prepare a big bowl or hangiri/sushi oke with 6⅔ cups sushi rice (cooked and seasoned). Set out the tray with the vegetable fillings, the large sashimi platter, and the nori. For each person, prepare a medium individual plate and a small plate for soy sauce.

To Roll the Temaki Sushi

1. Nori has a rough (dull) side and a shiny side; the shiny side is the presentation side. In the image below, I‘m pointing at the rough side. To make your sushi rolls, start with dry hands to keep the nori crispy. Place a half sheet of nori on the palm of your non-dominant hand, shiny side down. Add a thin layer of sushi rice to the left third of the nori sheet (if you‘re right-handed).
2. Place the fillings (cucumber, daikon radish sprouts, takuan, and tuna) vertically along the middle of the rice. Fold the bottom left corner of the nori over and begin rolling it into a cone shape.
3. Finish rolling the nori into a cone shape. Put a piece of rice at the bottom right corner to use as ”glue” and close tightly.
4. If you‘re using a quarter sheet of nori, put the rice in the center and the fillings on top. Simply fold up the sides like a taco.
5. For fatty fish, like salmon belly and chutoro (medium fatty tuna), sear and enhance the flavor with a kitchen butane torch at the table right before eating it.

To Serve

1. Serve with pickled sushi ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce as condiments. You can also use a mild, lightly sweet, and umami-rich sashimi soy sauce. Enjoy!

To Store

1. Sashimi-grade fish must be eaten within 24 hours. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a day.