COOKING TIME
Total: 35 - 45 minutes
Sushi Rice: 30 - 40 minutes
Rolling: 5 minutes
The anime series "Sushi Police" aired in 2016. It portrayed a Japanese government task force inspecting and eliminating overseas Japanese restaurants serving non-traditional sushi. The question is, "Would the Alaskan Roll be classified as non-traditional sushi, and if so, should it be banned from being served at restaurants outside of Japan?"
First, it's an inside-out roll, an American invention originating from the California Roll in Los Angeles. This already goes against the tradition of the Nori/Seaweed being on the outside. Additionally, placing fish on top of the Nori could make it slip away and thus, is impractical.
Although this has been done with Bo-zushi, a type of pressed/maki sushi resembling the shape of an inside-out roll with fish on top, it still lacks Nori. These differences might qualify it as being non-traditional.
However, modern Japanese cuisine is liberal and adaptive. Japanese culinary culture readily incorporates new ingredients and methods, evident in the use of condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce alongside traditional ones such as Soy Sauce and Miso. For instance, raw Salmon was traditionally unpopular in Japan due to the presence of parasites. However, a campaign by the Norwegian council in the 1970s popularized the use of Salmon for Sushi.
In the US, where wild and farm-raised Salmon is plentiful, rolls using Salmon are also popular. It's natural for these rolls to bear names associated with regions like Alaska, Seattle, and San Francisco, where Salmon is caught. The most popular variety of Alaska Roll usually has Crabmeat and Avocado inside, with Salmon on top. Adding Avocado or Lemon slices on top is optional.
INGREDIENTS:
Sushi Rice (recipe here)
1 Nori Seaweed, half sheet
30g (1 oz) Crabmeat or Imitation Crab
5 slices (10 - 15g/0.35 – 0.5 oz each) of Thinly Sliced Sushi Grade Salmon or Smoked Salmon
2 -3 pcs Avocado, sliced ½ inch thick
10g (0.35 oz) Sesame Seeds
INGREDIENTS:
Cutting Board
Knife
Makisu, Sushi Rolling Mat
Plastic wrap
INSTRUCTIONS:
Make a Spicy Tuna Roll (recipe here)
Thinly slice (3 - 5mm) salmon by moving your knife backwards. Moist the cutting board with a wet towel.
Place half sheet nori horizontally, rough side facing up.
Wet your hands.
Grab sushi rice, about the size of a tennis ball, approximately 200g.
Shape the rice like a potato and place it on the top left corner of the Nori. Apply pressure with the bottom part of your left palm to spread the sushi rice horizontally.
Guide the sushi rice with your right hand, covering the top half to 2/3 of the Nori.
Turn your left hand three times to evenly cover the top portion of the Nori with rice.
Clean your hands with a wet towel, dip your fingers in the water.
Use your fingertips to spread the rice to the bottom, left, center, and right. Spread the sushi rice all the way to the top and corners to cover the entire sheet of Nori evenly.
Flip the Nori with Sushi Rice so the Nori is facing up.
Place Crabmeat and Avocado.
Roll like a yoga mat from the bottom edge of the Nori. The bottom edge should land below the top edge of Nori.
Seal, then roll another 90 degrees forward.
Place a plastic wrap on a roll, then Makisu over the roll and squeeze.
Remove the plastic from the roll, then place Salmon slices on top of the roll.
Place the plastic wrap over the Salmon on the roll again.
Wrap the roll one more time with Makisu.
Cut into 8 pcs.
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