DIY Sushi

Sushi Obsessed

This summer, our boys became sushi obsessed. After trying several rolls at a few local places, we decided to give it a try and make our own.

• SODO Sushi Bar & Grill (Orlando)

• Sushi 99 (Port Orange)

• Yuki Sushi & Hibachi (New Smyrna Beach)

• Kura Revolving Sushi Bar (Orlando)

The Equipment

• Sushi Making Kit

• Chopsticks for Kids

  • T-Rex - $15.99

  • Shark - $5.99

  • Llama - $9.99

Crab Meat

Imitation crab is made from Alaskan Pollock. While there isn’t a notable calorie difference between the two options, there is a large difference in the amount of heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids in each serving:

• Real Crab: 351 mgs

• Whole Alaskan Pollock: 281 mg

• Imitation Crab: 31 mg

King Crab vs. Snow Crab

King crabs live at a depth of 20-230 feet, while snow crabs can be found at a depth of 100-3000 feet. These differences in habitat also affect their availability and price, with king crab being more expensive due to its limited supply and higher demand.

Nutritionally, King crabs are a leaner protein than other crab meats, low in both fat and calories.

Shrimp

Many types of shrimp can be used for sushi, including white leg shrimp, black tiger shrimp, and botan shrimp:

• White leg shrimp: Can be strengthened with bamboo skewers inserted among the legs

• Black tiger shrimp: A large shrimp that works well for sushi, especially for the ebi style of preparing shrimp, which involves "butterflying" the shrimp by splitting it open from the bottom and laying it flat

• Botan shrimp: Also known as botan-ebi in Japanese 

Any large shrimp can be used, but Black Tiger Shrimp works the best.

Our Shopping List

• 2 cups sushi rice

• 1 cucumber sliced into 4” strips

• 8 tempura shrimp

• Crab meat

• 1 salmon filet

• 1 avocado sliced

• Cream cheese

• Soy sauce

• Spicy mayo

• Ginger

• Rice vinegar

• Nori (seaweed wrap)

The Rice

• 2 cups sushi rice

• 2 cups water

• 2 Tbs granulated sugar

• 1 tsp table salt

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar

1. Rinse the rice and let sit for 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Add rice to water, cover, and turn on high heat.

3. Once water boils, cook for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.

5. In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar and salt in the rice vinegar over a low heat.

6. Pour mixture evenly over rice and fold gently with a wooden spoon to mix.

7. Let rice come to room temperature before making sushi.

The Rolls We Made

• CALIFORNIA ROLL: rice, cucumber, crab meat, avocado

• SHRIMP TEMPURA ROLL: tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber,

• PHILADELPHIA ROLL: smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, rice

• SPICY SALMON ROLL: cooked salmon and spicy mayo or sriracha

Tips We Learned About Making Sushi

• The sushi rice we purchased had a different ratio listed on the packaging for rice to water. We went with the manufacturer’s directions and then made the rice vinegar, sugar, salt mixture like the recipe listed above used to flavor the rice.

• Don’t be afraid to load up the bazooka. Also, after you close it, put the cap on and then crank the handle to compress the roll. Then, all you have to do is push the roll out onto the nori.

• Place the nori on the bamboo mat with the more textured side facing up. We speculated this helps grab onto the sticky rice.

• When rolling with the bamboo mat, focus on keeping the roll tight, but also on applying pressure equally across the roll. Use water to seal the nori closed. If you don’t use enough water, it won’t stay closed.

• When cutting the pieces, keep the already cut ones on the rack to help hold the middle part together. Make sure to slice through the bottom of the roll for each piece.

Other Sushi Roll Combinations

• DRAGON ROLL: nori, poached shrimp, cucumber, avocado, and mango

• RAINBOW ROLL: California Roll (rice, cucumber, crab meat, avocado) + tuna, salmon, white fish (flounder, striped bass, or sea brim), yellowtail, snapper, and eel

The Garnish

• Gari (or pickled ginger): young ginger, salt, rice vinegar, granulated sugar

  • make sure the ginger slices are thin

  • boil ginger in water first

• Leftover raw ginger? Make a ginger dressing:

  • 1 medium piece of ginger 1 medium piece

  • 4 medium carrots

  • 1 medium-sized yellow onion

  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar

  • 1/2 cup avocado oil

  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 Tbsp sugar

1. Peel the onions, ginger, and carrots. The easiest way to peel ginger is with a spoon.

2. Place all the ingredients in a food processor for blender and blend until smooth.

3. Store this ginger salad dressing in an airtight container. Shake before using.

• Wasabi

  • Fresh Japanese Wasabi (not as hot as horseradish) - Because wasabi has particular growing conditions, it tends to be very expensive to grow. Acquiring wasabi plants outside of Japan can be difficult.

    • Rinse the wasabi rhizome.

    • Trim the tip off of one end. ...

    • Using the finest grater you can get your hands on, grate the wasabi root into a fine paste. ...

    • Form the wasabi paste into a small pile to minimize its exposed surface area.

    • Use the fresh wasabi paste in the next 5-10 minutes for optimal flavor.

  • Japanese Wasabi Paste

    • 3 tsp wasabi powder + 1 tsp water

  • Fake Wasabi

    • Made of European horseradish, often with green food coloring added