Spicy Tuna Rolls

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A sushi-bar-quality spicy tuna roll you can absolutely pull off at home. The whole dish hinges on two things: buying tuna you'd happily eat raw, and seasoning your rice while it's hot so it cools glossy, tacky and just barely warm. A bamboo mat wrapped in plastic wrap makes the rolling nearly foolproof — nothing sticks, and you can squeeze the roll tight without tearing the nori. Makes four rolls, cut into 32 bite-size pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Japanese short-grain sushi rice
• 1 3/4 cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

• 8 ounces sushi-grade ahi or bigeye tuna, well chilled
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

• 4 sheets nori (roasted seaweed), full size
• 1 Persian cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
• 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup water mixed with 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, for hand-dipping
• soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi, for serving

Instructions

1. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with cool water, and swish with your fingers until the water turns cloudy. Drain and repeat 3 to 4 times, until the water runs nearly clear. Drain well in a fine-mesh sieve and let sit 15 minutes so the grains hydrate evenly.
2. Combine the drained rice and 1 3/4 cups cold water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat uncovered, then immediately cover, reduce to the lowest heat, and cook 13 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let stand, still covered, 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the seasoning: whisk the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and microwave 20 seconds (or warm briefly in a small pan) and stir until fully dissolved. Let cool slightly.
4. Spread the hot rice into a wide, non-metal bowl or a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle the vinegar mixture over it and fold gently with a rice paddle or silicone spatula, slicing through the rice rather than stirring, until every grain is coated and glossy. Fan it with a paper plate or magazine for 2 to 3 minutes, then let it cool to just barely warm — about 10 to 15 minutes. Cover with a damp towel. Never refrigerate the rice; cold rice turns hard and crumbly.
5. While the rice cools, prep the tuna. Pat the chilled loin dry, trim away any sinew, then cut into 1/4-inch dice with a sharp knife (for a smoother filling, dice it finer or scrape it with the back of a spoon). Keep it on a plate over ice while you work.
6. In a chilled bowl, whisk the Kewpie mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce and grated ginger. Fold in the tuna and scallions. Taste and add more sriracha if you want more heat. Refrigerate until you're ready to roll, up to 1 hour.
7. Wrap a bamboo rolling mat completely in plastic wrap and tape or tuck the edges underneath — this keeps rice off the slats and lets you squeeze firmly without shredding the nori. Set out your vinegar-water hand dip, a damp towel and a sharp knife.
8. Lay a nori sheet shiny side down on the mat, with the lines running left to right. Dip your fingertips in the vinegar water and shake off the excess. Take about 3/4 cup of rice and spread it over the nori in an even, pebbly layer roughly 1/4 inch thick, leaving a bare 3/4-inch border along the far edge. Press lightly — compacted rice makes gummy sushi.
9. Sprinkle the rice with a pinch of sesame seeds. Spoon one-quarter of the spicy tuna in a horizontal log across the rice about 1 inch from the near edge, then lay cucumber matchsticks and a few avocado slices alongside it.
10. Lift the near edge of the mat with your thumbs, using your fingers to hold the filling in place, and fold it over the filling so the nori meets the rice just past the log. Squeeze gently along the length to set the shape, then peel the mat back and continue rolling forward until the bare nori border seals underneath. Squeeze the wrapped mat around the finished roll for 5 seconds to firm it into a tight cylinder.
11. Repeat with the remaining nori, rice and filling. Wipe the mat with the damp towel between rolls.
12. Wipe your knife with a damp cloth, then cut each roll in half, line up the halves, and cut each into 4 equal pieces (8 per roll). Re-wet the blade between cuts and use a single smooth stroke rather than sawing. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and serve immediately with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem