How do I make homemade sushi without a rolling mat?

[Phrak]

A couple of months ago I bought a rice cooker to make rice for sushi. All the ingredients we found (well, my wife found) at the supermarket after a couple tries:

To make cucumber and crab rolls for a first time we bought

2 lb. white rice
1.2 oz toasted seaweed wraps
2 long cucumber
8 oz. cooked crab meat

and condiments:

3.7 oz. toasted sesame seeds
12 oz. pickled ginger
1 oz. wasabi
10 oz. low sodium soy sauce

We estimated about 25 dollars total food cost, and the two of us have been snacking on rice rolls for 5 days now.

There are a few tricks like handling the rice with damp hands or it won’t stick to your fingers, and use your sharpest knife and a slow hand to cut the through the seaweed wrapper. But I managed to make some acceptable rolls by the third try without a rolling mat which we failed to find at the supermarket.

 

[lisab]

Hmm...don't really know that I would eat 5-day-old seafood, but knock yourself out, haha.

That actually sounds like something I'd like to try. So you used regular, long-grain white rice? I always thought they use a special kind in sushi, like jasmine, or...?

 

[Cyrus]

Pfffft, I get mine free at the gas station with a fill up.

 

[DaveC426913]

I have the gear to make Sushi but have not done it yet. I am really interested in Nigiri (salmon), but the effort required to get sushi-grade raw salmon is putting me off. At the local fish store, it's only good on two days of the week. And that's often not the day I'm going to have a party...

 

[Evo]

Rice for sushi has to be washed for a long time. Place the raw rice in a colander and rinse under cold running water for at least 5 minutes while stirring with your hand. Then the rice is carefully mixed with vinegar.

 

[lisab]

Rice for sushi has to be washed for a long time. Place the raw rice in a colander and rinse under cold running water for at least 5 minutes while stirring with your hand. Then the rice is carefully mixed with vinegar.

So you can use any rice, as long as it's rinsed long enough? And what kind of vinegar?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

So you can use any rice, as long as it's rinsed long enough? And what kind of vinegar?

You're supposed to use japanese sticky rice, the most common one is calrose but I am not sure if there is a type that is considered better for sushi than calrose. Long grain rice, basmati, and such will not stick together properly for making sushi. I am not particularly familiar with making sushi but I grew up in a half japanese family. You are supposed to rinse calrose to get rid of dirt and wash away some of the starch (which makes it sticky) so it doesn't turn into mush. You need some of that starch though unless their is some other way of keeping the rice sticky that I am unaware of. Usually with calrose I rinse it (add water swirl around and drain) about three or four times just for normal use.

 

[Phrak]

Rice for sushi has to be washed for a long time. Place the raw rice in a colander and rinse under cold running water for at least 5 minutes while stirring with your hand. Then the rice is carefully mixed with vinegar.

You wouldn't believe some of the lengths you can go to to wash the rice, which is one thing I stumbled upon myself. It takes a lot of water, and one recommended operation is to rub the rice together to "polish" it.

I had no idea about the vinegar. I just read about it earlier tonight, which I imagine is a weak rice vinegar. The vinegar is combined with sugar and agar (I think) and other stuff. Even without all the extra care, it turned out very well.

 

[Phrak]

Hmm...don't really know that I would eat 5-day-old seafood, but knock yourself out, haha.

That actually sounds like something I'd like to try. So you used regular, long-grain white rice? I always thought they use a special kind in sushi, like jasmine, or...?

I bought diamond long grain white rice. Apparently you should use one year aged, medium or short grained for best results. Koreans call it sticky rice.

And yeah, come to think about it, the crab has reached it's experation date. We bought Blue Swimming Crab, whatever that is. Next time, Alaskan king crab.

Where could you find flying fish eggs?

 

[DaveC426913]

Where could you find flying fish eggs?

I know this one.

I saw flying fish eggs in front of the face of my teenager when he discovered he had a mouthful of fish eggs.

 

[junglebeast]

But I managed to make some acceptable rolls by the third try without a rolling mat which we failed to find at the supermarket.

check to see if you have any local "asian marts" or similar in the area, that's where I got mine

 

[redargon]

rolling sushi without a mat? never tried that, niiice

I buy the rice in a packet that says "sushi rice" on the front, pretty handy. Then I also use a vinegar called "sushi vinegar", which is often nect to the rice and the seaweed wraps in the store. The vinegar can be made using rice vinegar and sugar and salt.

You can also use surimi sticks instead of crab, it's cheaper and in a good size format. Tuna or salmon can be used, we often used smoked salmon for our friends that aren't so fond of raw fish. A nice additive is a stripe of mayo or cream cheese in the middle of the rolls.

Some great videos on the net on how to make different types. I used it to find out how to make fashion sandwiches (rice on the outside). Maki and nigiri were getting too easy and I needed more variation on the plate.

 

[Danger]

I saw flying fish eggs in front of the face of my teenager when he discovered he had a mouthful of fish eggs.

I tried rolling sushi once, and realized that it's a useless endeavour. I used everything from safety matches to an acetylene torch, and you just can't light the ****ing stuff. Some idiot sitting near me finally gave up and ate the ****!
By they bye, I have half a dozen rice cookers. They're called 'pots'.

 

[Moonbear]

I have two problems with making my own sushi rolls. First, as others have mentioned, finding sushi grade fish in a land-locked state is a rather sketchy endeavor. The other problem is that even if I found the fish, or just made pseudo-sushi with something like cooked crab, I haven't found seaweed wrappers I like. Unless I'm supposed to do something else to the wrappers that I don't know about, the ones in the stores are overwhelmingly strong tasting, like the seaweed was gathered only after it had been sitting out rotting on the rocks on shore for a week. When I get sushi in restaurants, the wraps have a much milder flavor that doesn't interfere with the other flavors in them.

Oh, who am I kidding, if I ever got my paws on sushi grade fish of any kind here, it would never make it into a roll. I'm much more of a fan of sashimi, so would just be chomping on the fish before it ever got into anything else (I need to find out how to arrange to come back as a bear in my next life so I can enjoy freshly-caught salmon straight from the stream). At most, I might make regular sushi, where I set some thin slices on rice. I'd never waste it in a roll where it's harder to taste the individual fish flavors. (Yes, I'm pretty sure I'm mostly carnivore...I have an extra set of pointy teeth to prove it. )

 

[Ben Niehoff]

I guess I feel lucky living in a place like LA...we have tons of Asian markets where you can get everything you need, including fresh fish. I haven't tried making sushi at home yet, though.

By the way, most California rolls (even in restaurants) are made from imitation crab rather than real crab. I do encourage trying real crab, of course, but if you're satisfied with what you get in restaurants, you might want to give imitation crab a try, as I would expect it to last longer before expiration.

 

[Ms Music]

We make sushi all the time! A while back I had scalded my hand something horrible the day before we were to have a party, so my 14 year old got to prep and roll ALL the sushi all by herself. She was very proud of herself.

For Moonbear and those that don't have local sushi grade fish, I have heard you can substitute lox for some recipes, but we haven't tried that yet. Even though we have an AWESOME Japanese/Asian market, I still haven't had the nerve to try their sashimi fish. We just stick to California rolls or vegan rolls, or cooked scallops and shrimp...

I can't imagine rolling without a mat...

 

[DaveC426913]

...I had scalded my hand something horrible the day before we were to have a party...

Evo?? Is that you??

 

[Moonbear]

We make sushi all the time! A while back I had scalded my hand something horrible the day before we were to have a party, so my 14 year old got to prep and roll ALL the sushi all by herself. She was very proud of herself.

For Moonbear and those that don't have local sushi grade fish, I have heard you can substitute lox for some recipes, but we haven't tried that yet. Even though we have an AWESOME Japanese/Asian market, I still haven't had the nerve to try their sashimi fish. We just stick to California rolls or vegan rolls, or cooked scallops and shrimp...

I can't imagine rolling without a mat...

I wouldn't substitute lox. I like lox, but it has its own place, which is not sushi. Lox belongs on a bagel with cream cheese and onions, or served with those little itty bitty bread slices and a sprinkle of capers and onions.

And, sorry folks, but California rolls are NOT sushi. If the fish is cooked, it's not sushi, it's just some Americanized concoction for wimps. I know it's imitation crab in them, which is why I wouldn't even consider wasting my time making them. Not that you could taste the crab amidst everything else anyway.

 

[DaveC426913]

I wouldn't substitute lox. I like lox, but it has its own place, which is not sushi. Lox belongs on a bagel with cream cheese and onions, or served with those little itty bitty bread slices and a sprinkle of capers and onions.

Yay lox! Food of the Gods. My toes are curling just thinking about lox.

And, sorry folks, but California rolls are NOT sushi. If the fish is cooked, it's not sushi, it's just some Americanized concoction for wimps. I know it's imitation crab in them, which is why I wouldn't even consider wasting my time making them. Not that you could taste the crab amidst everything else anyway.

Concurrence. California rolls are to real sushi what ... um ah ... fake food is to real food.
Sorry, my metaphor muscle is tired.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

I wouldn't substitute lox. I like lox, but it has its own place, which is not sushi. Lox belongs on a bagel with cream cheese and onions, or served with those little itty bitty bread slices and a sprinkle of capers and onions.

And dill! Don't forget the dill. And creme fraiche is way better than cream cheese.

And, sorry folks, but California rolls are NOT sushi. If the fish is cooked, it's not sushi, it's just some Americanized concoction for wimps. I know it's imitation crab in them, which is why I wouldn't even consider wasting my time making them. Not that you could taste the crab amidst everything else anyway.

I agree, but since the OP described making California rolls, and then complained about them expiring, I made the suggestion.

Actually, come to think of it:

- Rolls with the rice on the outside are not sushi
- Rolls with pieces too big to fit in your mouth are not sushi
- Fish and rice doused in spicy sauce is not sushi

These things are also American concoctions. Sushi flavors are supposed to be subtle so that you can taste the fish. However, I do love spicy sauce and wasabi.

Some kinds of sushi ARE cooked, actually, such as octopus and eel.

 

[Moonbear]

And dill! Don't forget the dill. And creme fraiche is way better than cream cheese.

I've never considered dill. I'll have to try that next time I have lox. Creme fraiche is out of the question...I've never seen it around here, and if I did, I'd probably be highly suspicious of its authenticity.

Actually, come to think of it:

- Rolls with the rice on the outside are not sushi
- Rolls with pieces too big to fit in your mouth are not sushi
- Fish and rice doused in spicy sauce is not sushi

These things are also American concoctions. Sushi flavors are supposed to be subtle so that you can taste the fish. However, I do love spicy sauce and wasabi.

Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I disagree on what constitutes a roll with pieces too big to fit in your mouth. This apparently is a subjective concept. When I visit him, we go to a really great Japanese restaurant that does have a section of the menu that caters to these very Americanized rolls (at least they have the decency to make it obvious these are not Japanese in any way by giving them names like, "Taxi Cab Roll"), and along with the real sushi we get, we will usually share one of these ginormous rolled concoctions. Admittedly, they are very tasty, even if not actually sushi. But, as he stuffs each piece into his mouth, he can't seem to quite understand why I have such difficulty that I need to bite them in half and then have the other half fall apart on me. He's mentioned that usually I seem to have a much bigger mouth than he does, so this is all very puzzling. I then explain to him the ramifications of such a comment, and which activities might need to be curtailed while I contemplate the size of my mouth that evening. At this point, he generally concedes that indeed, his mouth must be much bigger than mine, as he seems to keep getting his foot stuck in it while that problem never happens to me.

(By the way, this restaurant also has the "secret Japanese menu" too...if you know what to ask for, there are things that aren't on the menu given to Americans...my boyfriend found out when he brought Japanese clients there and when they started talking to the waiter in Japanese, they started having things brought out that he'd never before seen on the menu, so now we know to ask.)

I do like spicy sauces too, though appreciate that they are not real sushi. Incidentally, drowning your sushi in soy sauce or covering it in wasabi is insulting to the sushi chef in Japan...it's something you'd only do to cover the taste of bad sushi. If it's properly prepared and fresh, you shouldn't need any more than a light sprinkling of soy sauce on it, or nothing at all. And, indeed, when I've had really good sushi or sashimi, that has been the case. I don't need to add anything to it, just enjoy the unique flavors of each fish all by itself (another tip that it's good sushi is when you can appreciate that each fish has a unique flavor...if they all taste the same, it's bad sushi).

Some kinds of sushi ARE cooked, actually, such as octopus and eel.

I'll have to ask my boyfriend if those get served in Japan (or maybe you know this yourself?) I've always wondered if, again, that was an Americanized version, or if that's how they would be served in Japan as well. Often, in the US, they cook shrimp in sushi too, but that's not how it's served in Japan (I know because my boyfriend had to tell me about the shrimp he was served that was so fresh, the tail was still reflexively fanning open and closed on the plate...and to think that when I first met him, he wouldn't even touch sushi, telling me it was bait, not food. ). I did get raw sweet shrimp once...the restaurant we go to had it as a special because it was in season. It was WONDERFUL!

 

[Phrak]

Back when, at a sushi restaurant, the chef offered my ex wife a kelp leaf with some fish eggs layed on it. Apparently this was quite a pricy delicacy and he was very upset when she passed it off to me after a nibble. Some of this variety of raw stuff from the sea is too much for me as well. Have you tried uni, sea urchin?


Also, you've contributed to my curiosity over the origins and/or evolution of sushi. This was a surprise.

"The traditional form of sushi is fermented fish and rice, preserved with salt in a process that has been traced to Southeast Asia, where it remains popular today. The term sushi comes from an archaic grammatical form no longer used in other contexts; literally, "sushi" means "it's sour",[2] a reflection of its historic fermented roots."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi"

 

[Math Is Hard]

I like Musubi (or "Spam sushi"):
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Spam.htm

 

[lisab]

I like Musubi (or "Spam sushi"):
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Spam.htm

OK...here's an idea inspired by MiH's post: take out the spam/rice, replace it with Twinkie/whipped-cream-from-a-can. Remove the kelp, and put in a chocolate coating instead.

Oh, and um...find some way to deep fry it. Twice, maybe.

Now THAT'S Americanized sushi.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

Having not been to Japan, I can't say for sure about octopus being cooked. I've read (and seen videos) of Korean restaurants where people eat LIVE octopus, so I wouldn't be surprised if Japanese eat it raw...however, even in Korea (so I read), the live octopus is a bit of a novelty, and not any sort of commonplace dish.

I'll have to ask about these "secret Japanese menus" sometime...although while I have many foreign friends, none of them are Japanese, so I may have trouble with that.

Another one:

- While tempura is authentically Japanese (at least since the Portuguese introduced it to them in the 1800s), putting it in a sushi roll is most decidedly not.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

So I looked it up just to be sure. Traditionally 'sushi' refers to the vinegar rice. Depending on what you do with it it is called different things in Japan (*****-zushi). Here we just call it sushi and it typically refers to the type with raw fish on top but can refer to any type of sushi. Inari is techinically sushi even though there is no fish or anything in it.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I like Musubi (or "Spam sushi")

Spam Musubi is awesome. Its too bad most of the hawaiian food you get around here is really really bad for you.

 

[Math Is Hard]

OK...here's an idea inspired by MiH's post: take out the spam/rice, replace it with Twinkie/whipped-cream-from-a-can. Remove the kelp, and put in a chocolate coating instead.

Oh, and um...find some way to deep fry it. Twice, maybe.

Now THAT'S Americanized sushi.

Yah.. just like sushi... only different!

 

[Cyrus]

I like Musubi (or "Spam sushi"):
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Spam.htm

Why do I feel like I have to slant my eyes with my fingers when I eat that to be un-PC. I guess its because the chef is opening his eyes round with his fingers as he makes it laughing at us amurkans.