Sushi Rolls Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Place 2 cups short-grain sushi rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water, rubbing gently until the water runs mostly clear (3–4 minutes). Drain 10–15 minutes. Transfer rice to a medium saucepan with 480 ml water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Prepare sushi vinegar

While rice cooks, combine 4 tbs rice vinegar, 2 tbs sugar and 1 tsp fine sea salt in a small bowl and stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Warm slightly if needed to dissolve more quickly (do not boil).

Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow wooden or nonreactive bowl. Pour the sushi vinegar over the rice and use a wooden spatula to fold and cut the rice to distribute the seasoning while fanning the rice to cool it quickly to body temperature. Continue until rice is slightly glossy and no longer steaming. Cover with a damp towel and keep at room temperature until assembly (do not refrigerate).

Slice sushi-grade salmon and tuna into long 1/4" (6 mm) strips about 3–4 inches long. Keep fish chilled on ice until ready to assemble.

Peel and slice avocado into thin strips; toss briefly with a few drops of lemon or rice vinegar if desired to slow browning.

Seed cucumber, cut into matchsticks approximately the same length as the fish strips. Thinly slice green onion if using.

Make spicy mayo by whisking together 3 tbs mayonnaise and 1 tsp Sriracha in a small bowl. Transfer to a small squeeze bottle or keep handy with a spoon for assembly.

Prepare your roll station: place a bamboo mat on a clean surface and optionally wrap the mat with plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Place a bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers.

Place one nori sheet shiny side down on the mat. Wet your hands, then take about 3/4 to 1 cup of prepared sushi rice and spread it evenly over the nori, leaving a 1-inch strip at the far edge free of rice to seal.

Lightly sprinkle toasted sesame seeds or tobiko on the rice if making an outside-coated roll. Flip the nori so rice is facing down on the mat if making inside-out rolls (uramaki); for a standard maki roll, keep rice on nori and add fillings directly on the rice-free side.

Place a combination of fillings across the center: for example, 2–3 strips of salmon or tuna, a few cucumber matchsticks, and a couple of avocado slices. Add a thin line of spicy mayo or a dot of mayo along the filling if desired, and a few slices of green onion for freshness.

Using the bamboo mat, lift the near edge and roll away from you, tucking the fillings tightly and applying gentle pressure to form a compact roll. Seal the exposed nori edge with a little water to join.

If you made an inside-out roll (rice outside), after rolling, sprinkle sesame seeds or press tobiko onto the rice. For a neat finish, use a sharp, wet knife and slice each roll into 8 equal pieces: wipe the blade between cuts to maintain clean edges.

Repeat with remaining nori sheets and fillings to make roughly 8 rolls total (yielding 64 pieces; adjust quantity of nori or fillings if making fewer rolls).

Arrange 8 pieces per person on a platter with small dishes of soy sauce, a smear or small dollop of wasabi, and pickled ginger on the side. Drizzle unagi/teriyaki sauce over select rolls if desired and garnish with extra sesame seeds or tobiko.

Consume shortly after slicing for best texture. Keep leftover rolls refrigerated and consume within 24 hours; discard if raw fish was left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.