Some people are turned off by sushi – by the fact that it's raw fish, or the often high price tag. Our food pro, Devin Alexander, demonstrates a creative take on traditional sushi that just might turn it into a family favorite.
"Americanized sushi has become all the rage these days…and doesn't even have to contain raw fish to be called 'sushi,'" says Devin. "When you make it at home, you can customize rolls to your taste and it can save you a fortune!"
Making the rice might seem intimidating, but it's actually really easy. You just start with a half-tablespoon of sugar, mix it with a tablespoon and a half of rice vinegar. Stir that until it dissolves. By mixing sugar and vinegar to make the solution, it makes the rice stick better.
Devin uses about half the sugar normally used in sushi rice, and in the end, it's going to have much less sugar than it would in a sushi bar because she uses a lot less rice.
"You know how sometimes you go out for sushi and it's so much rice and no filling?" says Devin. "Not when you do it at home. You can customize!"
Once the sugar is dissolved, pour it into the rice and mix it up. After your sushi rice mixed, the next important step is to wet your hands. You want them just slightly damp, then rub them together. Take your rice and spread it evenly over your seaweed, making sure you don't mound it in the center.
Make sure you go all the way out to the edges. Once you have it on, wet your hands again and start pressing.
Now it's time for the filling. Stuff your rice roll with roast beef and cucumbers. Use regular lean deli roast beef. Use it like it was fish, and add a quarter of a cucumber and simply roll it. Make sure the back piece of seaweed overlaps and grab the front piece and roll forward, being sure to apply pressure on it so it stays tight.
And there you have it: A perfect sushi roll.
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