Spicy Tuna Futomaki Recipes

Steps:

• Seed the cucumber and cut it into thin sticks about 1/8 inch wide and 4 inches long.
• Place the tuna in a medium bowl. Add the chili sauce, sesame oil and Japanese pepper if using and stir gently to combine.
• Lay a half nori sheet textured-side up (smooth/shiny-side down) on a cutting board with one of the longer sides closest to you. Dip your fingers in a small bowl of ice water and gently spread 1/2 cup of the prepared sushi rice evenly over most of the nori, leaving a 1-inch strip of nori without rice on one short edge. Rotate the nori so the short edge with rice is closest to you.
• Place 1 1/2 ounces of the tuna in a line across the rice. Lay 3 to 4 pieces of the cucumber next to the tuna. Slip your thumbs under the near edge of the nori and roll the sushi roll away from you with gentle pressure until the edge without sushi rice is on the bottom, creating a seam. (Don't squeeze the roll too firmly or the filling will squish out.)
• Let the sushi roll sit on the seam for a few seconds and the seam should seal itself. If it doesn't, dip a fingertip into the ice water and swipe a very small amount of water along the un-riced edge of the nori sheet. Let the roll sit on the seam for a few seconds. If you like, use a makisu (sushi rolling mat) to gently shape the roll.
• Dip the tip of a knife into the ice water and allow the water to run down the blade. Slice the sushi roll into 6 even pieces. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, making 4 rolls.
• Garnish each roll with 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds. Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi if desired. If using fresh wasabi, peel and finely grate.

Steps:

• Cut off the bottom quarter of each nori sheet; reserve for another use.
• Combine chopped tuna, mayonnaise, green onions, and hot sauce in a bowl.
• Center 1 sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi mat. Wet your hands. Spread a thin layer of rice on the nori using your hands; press into a thin layer, leaving a 1/2-inch space at the bottom edge. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Arrange 1/4 of the tuna mixture in a line across the rice, about 1/3 of the way down from the top of the sheet.
• Wet the uncovered edge of the nori. Lift the top end of the mat and firmly roll it over the ingredients. Roll it forward to make a complete roll. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Slice the rolls into 3/4-inch pieces using a wet knife. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, chile paste, hot chile oil, and sesame oil and stir to combine.
• Place 1 piece of toasted seaweed on top of a sushi roller (makisushi), with the short end closest to you. Using lightly wet fingers, press enough rice onto the seaweed to completely cover the seaweed, and press firmly so that rice adheres to seaweed. Turn seaweed over so that rice side now faces down. Arrange strips of tuna on top of seaweed, with the tuna strips running vertically in line with the short side of the seaweed, about 1/3 of the way into the seaweed sheet.
• Spread a small amount of wasabi on the tuna, then sprinkle with sliced scallions. Using the sushi roller as a guide, carefully begin rolling the seaweed up, pressing as tightly as possible so that the roll is firm and compact. Once the roll is completely rolled, reposition roll on sushi roller and press again. Sprinkle sesame seeds on a flat surface and lightly roll in seeds to coat. Allow roll to sit for a few seconds before slicing with a sharp, damp knife.
• Cut roll into 6 or 8 pieces and serve with dollops of sauce spooned on top, or alongside for dipping. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• In a large bowl, add rice and cover with lots of water. Stir rice in water with your hands, then pour off most of the water, and agitate 10 to 15 times by quickly moving your hand back and forth, swishing rice against side of bowl. Rinse the rice several more times, until the water that drains off of the rice is almost clear. Transfer the rice to a colander and let drain for 1 hour, undisturbed. Transfer the rice to a rice cooker, add the water, cover and cook as directed by manufacturer's directions.
• While the rice is cooking, bring rice vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan, and then remove from the heat. Add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When rice is done, allow cooked rice to remain in rice cooker for 10 minutes. Transfer rice to a large shallow mixing bowl (traditionally a wooden tub, called a hangiri), so that rice forms a mound in the center of the bowl. Using a diagonal slicing motion, gently cut into rice with a wooden paddle (called a kijakushi), and pour cooled vinegar mixture over top of rice. "Cut" rice several times to evenly distribute vinegar mixture, then allow to cool. Gently turn rice over from time to time with paddle so that rice cools evenly. You might want to consider using a fan if time is of the essence. When rice has cooled to body temperature, it is ready to use for sushi rolls. Rice can be kept at the proper temperature by placing it in an insulated container such as a small ice chest, covered with a damp kitchen towel.

Steps:

• Cut sea sticks in half lengthwise.
• Cut cucumber lengthwise into narrow strips.
• Halve avocado, remove pit and slice into strips. Remove center ribs and shred lettuce.
• Mix one cup of water with the rice vinegar in a small bowl and set aside to use as hand vinegar, to rinse your hands and keep the rice from sticking to them.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap on a bamboo rolling mat. Place a piece of nori, rough side up on the plastic wrap.
• Take a handful of rice and spread it over half of the nori, leaving 1" on the far side of the nori clear. Repeat to cover the other half of the seaweed sheet.
• Arrange 5-6 shrimp in a row about 2" from the close edge.
• Add a row of sea sticks, then a row of shredded lettuce.
• On top of the shrimp, place slices of avocado and shredded carrots so the ingredients are piled like logs of wood. One third of each of the filling ingredients should be used for each roll.
• Pick up the mat from the near side and roll it up, pressing gently. Remove from rolling mat. Repeat steps to make two more rolls.
• Cut each roll into 8 slices. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.