Philadelphia Roll Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Place 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, rubbing the grains together, until the water runs clear (about 3–5 minutes). Drain. Transfer rice to a medium pot or rice cooker and add 360 ml water. If using a pot, bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, lower heat to very low and cook 12–15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Season rice

Meanwhile, combine 3 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tbs sugar, and 1 tsp kosher salt in a small bowl; stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Transfer cooked rice to a wide bowl (hangiri or large bowl) and gently fold in the vinegar mixture using a wooden spatula or rice paddle. Use slicing motions to avoid smashing the grains. Fan the rice while folding (or allow airflow) to cool it to near room temperature — about 15 minutes total. Keep rice covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Prepare fillings

While rice cools, cut cream cheese into 12 long thin strips (about 3/4" x 1/2") and slice cucumber lengthwise, remove seeds with a spoon, then cut into 12 thin batons. Have smoked salmon slices ready and toast or lightly warm nori sheets if desired.

Spread rice on nori

Place a bamboo sushi mat on a flat surface and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place 1 nori sheet shiny side down on the mat. Wet your hands with water (keep a small bowl of water and a little rice vinegar nearby to prevent sticking). Take about 3/4 cup of prepared sushi rice and gently spread it evenly over the nori, leaving a 1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) strip at the far edge without rice. Press rice lightly to an even 3–4 mm thickness. If making an inside-out roll (rice outside), sprinkle 1/2 tbs sesame seeds over the rice now and flip the nori so rice faces down on the plastic-wrapped mat—this recipe uses nori inside (rice on nori).

Add fillings and roll

Arrange 3 strips of smoked salmon, 3 strips of cream cheese, and 3 cucumber batons horizontally across the rice about 2–3 cm from the near edge. Lift the near edge of the mat and begin to roll away from you, tucking the fillings in with your fingers. Press the mat firmly but gently as you roll to form a tight cylinder. When you reach the exposed nori edge, dampen it lightly with water to seal the seam. Repeat for remaining 3 nori sheets to make 4 rolls (approx. 8–10 slices each).

Slice rolls

Using a very sharp knife, wet the blade with water and wipe dry between cuts to prevent sticking. Trim off the two ends of each roll if desired, then cut each roll into 8–10 even pieces (aim for 12 pieces per roll if you used smaller rice portions). Clean and wet the knife between slices as needed to get clean edges.

Arrange Philadelphia Roll slices on a platter. Serve with soy sauce, a small dab of wasabi if desired, and pickled ginger on the side. Optionally garnish with extra sesame seeds or a small squeeze of lemon over the salmon. Consume the sushi the same day for best texture and safety.