Philadelphia Roll Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Place 2 cups short-grain sushi rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water, stirring with your hand, until the water runs nearly clear (about 3–5 minutes). Drain 10–15 minutes. Combine rinsed rice and 2.2 cups water in a rice cooker or pot. If using a pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover tightly, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Season rice

While rice rests, warm 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over low heat just until sugar and salt dissolve; do not boil. Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow wooden or plastic bowl (hangiri if available). Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the rice. Using a rice paddle or wooden spatula, fold the rice gently—cut and fan motion—to incorporate seasoning while fanning to cool the rice to near room temperature (about 10–15 minutes). Cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Prepare salmon

Using a very sharp knife, cut the sashimi-grade salmon into long strips approximately 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long suitable for rolling. Keep chilled until assembly.

Prepare leek

Trim the leek, separate the white/light-green part, slice thinly. Blanch slices in boiling water 20–30 seconds until softened, then immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Drain and squeeze gently to remove excess water.

Prepare avocado and cream cheese

Slice the avocado into 1/4-inch thick long strips. Cut the cream cheese into long, thin batons roughly the same length as the salmon strips (about 4 inches). Keep both chilled but pliable.

Lay out nori and rice

Place a plastic-wrapped bamboo mat on your work surface. Place one nori sheet shiny side down on the plastic. With wet fingers (to prevent sticking), take about 3/4 cup of seasoned rice and spread a thin, even layer over the nori, leaving a 1 inch (2.5 cm) strip at the far edge without rice. The rice layer should be about 1/8–1/4 inch thick. Lightly press toasted sesame seeds over the rice if desired.

Flip nori (optional inside-out style)

If you prefer an inside-out roll (rice on outside), flip the nori so rice faces down on the plastic, then place a second piece of plastic over the rice and carefully peel the nori away so rice is on the outside. For a classic nori-out roll, skip this step.

Add fillings

About 1 inch from the near edge of the nori, arrange in a horizontal line: 2–3 strips of salmon, 2–3 thin batons of cream cheese, a few blanched leek strips, and 2–3 avocado slices. Keep fillings centered and not overstuffed to allow a tight roll.

Roll the sushi

Lift the near edge of the mat and begin to roll away from you, holding the fillings in place with your fingers. Apply gentle, even pressure with the mat to form a tight cylinder. Continue rolling until the seam of the nori meets. If using rice-on-outside style, continue rolling so rice encloses the nori and fillings. Press the roll gently with the mat to shape for 10–15 seconds.

Slice rolls

Using a very sharp knife dipped in water (wipe between cuts), trim off the uneven ends of the roll, then slice the roll into 6–8 even pieces (for a full-size nori sheet, you will get 6–8 pieces per roll depending on thickness). Clean the knife and wet it between slices to get clean cuts.

Arrange the Philadelphia roll pieces on a serving plate. Garnish with a light sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger on the side. Consume within a few hours while the rice texture is best.