Spicy Tuna Roll With Cucumber Recipes

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:

• With a sharp knife, cut tuna fillet crosswise at a slight angle and into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and set aside. Cut the cucumber into narrow strips about 4 inches long. Mix the sushi rice with the sesame seeds.
• Just before rolling sushi, toast the nori by passing the shiny side over a high flame. The color of the nori will change from brownish black to dark green. (Without toasting, the nori will be gummy and hard to chew.) Cut toasted nori sheets in half crosswise.
• Lay a 1/2 a sheet of the nori, shiny side down, on a bamboo rolling mat. Combine the rice vinegar and water in a mixing bowl, and moisten your hands with this hand vinegar to keep the rice from sticking to your hands as you work. Spread about 1 cup of the sushi rice on 3/4 of the nori closest to you, in a layer about 1/4 inch thick, spreading it to the edges. Smear a thin line of the wasabi across the center of the rice, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of chili oil. Lay 1/4 of the cucumber strips and 1/4 of the tuna slices evenly along the wasabi.
• To roll, hold the line of ingredients in place with fingertips, and use thumbs to push up and turn the end of the bamboo mat so that the edge of the nori is lifted up and meets the far edge of the sheet. Correct the shape by gently but firmly pressing the bamboo mat around the roll for about 30 seconds to shape it. Make 3 more rolls.
• Use a wet knife to cut each roll into 1-inch rounds. Arrange sushi on a platter or individual plates and garnish with the vinegared ginger.

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.