Crow Village Sushi Rolls

These are tasty little numbers for the fabulous Alaska Sockeye Salmon fillets. It is important to freeze your fillets for 24-48 hours first to avoid any danger from eating raw salmon. Serves 4 hungry adults.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 thawed Sockeye Red Salmon filet
  • 1 fresh cucumber
  • 2 fresh avocados
  • 3-5 carrots
  • some roasted sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
  • 2 cups Japanese short grain or sushi grade rice
  • 3 cups fresh spring water
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 10 sheets sushinora (seaweed) paper


DIRECTIONS

Start the rice first because it takes awhile. The rice is the foundation for the sushi so do not take any shortcuts or use inferior rice. You can slice the ingredients while you are waiting on the rice. Pour the rice and spring water into your rice cooker. If electricity is not available, you can use your regular rice pot. Let the rice soak for 30 minutes. Apply heat to the rice, and bring it to a boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to simmer for 1 hour. Let cool for 30 minutes. In small saucepan heat up rice vinegar and sugar mixture for a couple of minutes. Pour the rice vinegar mixture into the rice and mix thoroughly. The rice is now ready. The slicing of ingredients can be done while the rice cooks and is as follows. Cut out the filet into 6 inch by 1/2 inch strips. Shorter strips can be used as well. Peel the cucumber, cut out the seed section, and slice into small strips the remaining portion. Slice carrots into small strips. Peel and deseed the avocado and slice into small strips. Next prepare yourself for the rolling operation. You'll need a bamboo mat, and you will want to encase it in a gallon size freezer bag or wrap in cellophane or else you will spend too much time cleaning the rice out of the bamboo. You'll want the sushinora paper ready to go since you want to minimize handling it once you start rolling. have a small bowl of water handy, plus all the ingredients in close proximity. If you have some disposable sandwich gloves, put them on, and that will help keep your hands free of rice. You are ready to commence the rolling operation. Place the first sheet on your bamboo mat with the rough side up and the bottom (towards you) extended beyond the bottom of the bamboo mat for an inch or so. Grab a handful of rice and smear it onto the paper in a uniform layer leaving the bottom 2 inches of the paper bare, and thinly covering the remainder. Sprinkle the sesame or poppy seeds over the rice. Dab some water from your bowl onto the bottom bare portion of the paper to aid in adhesion. Flip the paper and rice over maintain the position of the bare paper on the bottom (towards you) of the mat. Spread internal ingredients across the paper starting slightly above (away) where the rice starts below. This would be the cucumbers, salmon, carrots and avocado. Wet the bottom (towards you) section of the paper to aid in adhesion. You are ready to roll. take the bottom portion including the bamboo mat and start rolling away from you. The riceless portion of the paper might double over, but that is alright. Be careful to keep the ingredients portion in tight (you can use your fingers to pack it in as you are rolling) and be sure to tuck the first portion in firmly when it first makes contact. Firmly roll the remainder trying to keep the roll tight, and make sure to press firmly and correct the roundness of the roll once you have rolled it all up. Set aside, and proceed to the next roll in a similar fashion. Once all rolls are complete, it is time to slice. You'll want a good sharp knife (a filet knife works well) and a wet towel handy to clean off the knife after each roll. Cut each roll into about 7 or eight pieces about 3/4 inch each, however make them slightly larger on the ends to help hold them together. Gingerly correct the roundness and adhesion of each piece then set aside after you cut the entire roll. This recipe should make about 7 or 8 rolls.

From the Crow Village, Alaska cookbook