Sushirito

A sushirito is really just a big sushi roll that hasn’t been cut yet. While I most certainly didn’t invent these, I sure am all about them! Literally any kind of sushi flavor combo you like can be and should be put into these. Like yourself some spicy tuna? How about shrimp? Into roe or white fin? Or maybe you like to get crazy and are thinking about shredded roasted chicken, bacon, and a spicy sauce with crisp romaine and avocado? GO NUTS, you guys. There are no rules, only what sounds delicious to you! My sushirito is a classic Spicy California Roll with crab, avocado, cucumber, sriracha mayo, and carrot. You’ll want to make sure it’s wrapped in something that won’t leak while you pour little bits of soy sauce into it and get down in flavor town.

A note about prep: have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin construction and the perfect time to prep is while the rice cools. The rice will take 20 minutes to simmer, another 10 to steam, and then at least a half-hour to cool completely. You could make it in the morning, chill in the fridge, and then assemble in ten minutes when you’re ready to eat. If you don’t want to make rice early, you also could spread out the hot cooked sushi rice on a Silpat or in a wide shallow dish will help it cool faster before assembly.

Spicy California Sushiritto

Serves 2

2 cups cooked sushi rice (from 1 cup dry sushi rice), cooled

4 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 avocado, 1/2 sliced and half mashed

2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

3 sheets of seaweed, the third one cut in half

water in a bowl for your fingers

sesame seeds

1/2 cup carrot, cut into 3-inch matchsticks

1 mini cucumber, cut into 8 wedges, lengthwise

4 oz imitation crab meat, cut into thin strips

soy sauce for dipping

Season the cooled sushi rice with the vinegar by sprinkling it over top and fluffing with a fork. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the sriracha, mayonnaise, and sesame oil. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the second half of the avocado that is smashed together with the hoisin sauce. Set this aside as well.

Place a piece of cling wrap that is roughly 12 inches long on a clean counter. Lay 1 seaweed sheet rough side down on top of it, wetting the far end with a bit of water on your finger, and “glue” one of the half-sheets to it. Essentially, you want to make a slightly longer seaweed sheet. You should have the short end towards you.

Wet your fingers and press half of the rice onto the seaweed, leaving about an inch of space at the far end (that is where your sushirito will get stuck together and keep its roll shape) and going edge to edge from left to right. Sprinkle half the sesame seeds over the rice.

Using the back of a spoon, thinly spread half of the mashed avocado-hoisin sauce mixture over the rice as best you can.

Beginning at the short end closest to you, begin to lay strips of half of the carrots, mini cucumber, crab meat, sriracha mayo sauce, and the sliced avocado, taking care to only go about halfway up the rice. Any further up the rice bed and your sushirito may not fully close. Try to avoid making to much of a mound in the center of your roll.

With all your ingredients laid on the rice, wet your finger and moisten the far short end of the seaweed. Hold the plastic wrap edge closest to you and begin to make a tight roll, working upwards/away from you as you roll. Try to keep your roll even and work any ingredients that try to squeeze out with your fingers as you go. When you get to the end, re-moisten the seaweed edge if needed and seal it to your roll.

Remove the sushirito from the cling wrap and transfer to a large piece of waxed paper or foil, wrap like a burrito, and serve. Have soy sauce waiting on the side to gently pour in as you eat through your roll.