Hand-Rolled Sushi (Temaki-zushi)
手巻き寿司 temaki-zushiSay it: teh-MAH-kee ZOO-shee
Temaki-zushi is Japan’s relaxed hand-rolled sushi: a crisp sheet of nori cupped in the hand and filled with vinegared rice, strips of fresh fish and crunchy vegetables. It is a favorite at home and at parties, especially when the table is crowded and everyone can build their own cone. The nori stays crisp, the rice is gently sweet-sour, and each bite is cool, fresh and satisfying, with a dab of wasabi and soy sauce.
Hand-Rolled Sushi (Temaki-zushi)
手巻き寿司, temaki-zushi
Pronounced teh-MAH-kee ZOO-shee
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, fish, soy, sesame. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Sushi rice
Fillings and nori
To serve
Method
Put the rice in a large bowl and rinse under cold water, rubbing gently, until the water runs almost clear. Drain well and transfer to a heavy saucepan with the water.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, then remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
While the rice rests, stir the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl until dissolved. Spread the hot rice in a wide shallow bowl, sprinkle with the vinegar mixture and fold gently with a rice paddle or spatula while fanning until glossy and just warm.
Arrange the tuna, salmon, cucumber, avocado, takuan, scallions and sesame seeds on a platter or board. Keep the raw fish cold until serving.
Cut each nori sheet in half crosswise and stack the halves shiny side down. Put the soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger in small serving bowls.
To make one temaki, wet one hand with water, place a nori half in the other hand and spread about 1/4 cup (50 g) rice over the left side, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border. Lay a few strips of fish, vegetables and a pinch of scallions and sesame diagonally across the rice.
Fold the bottom-left corner of the nori over the filling toward the top-right corner, then roll into a crisp cone, sealing the edge with a grain of rice. Eat immediately while the nori is crisp, dipping in soy sauce with a little wasabi.
Repeat with the remaining nori, rice and fillings, and serve right away with pickled ginger.
Regional variants
Cooked shrimp, grilled eel or tamagoyaki can replace the raw fish; vegetarian temaki often combines cucumber, avocado, pickled daikon and shiso leaves.
Cook's notes
- Keep the rice at room temperature, not cold; cold rice turns firm and loses its glossy texture.
- Do not overfill the cones or the nori will split; two or three pieces of fish and a little vegetable are enough.
- Use sashimi-grade fish from a trusted supplier and keep it refrigerated until the moment of assembly.
Serve with
Soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, with green tea or beer.
Make ahead and storage
Season the rice up to 2 hours ahead and keep it covered at room temperature; prepare the fillings just before serving. Assemble temaki only at the table.
