Rainbow Roll

Name: Rainbow Roll
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2/3 c. sushi rice; 2/3 c. water, plus more for rinsing; 1 (2”) piece kombu (optional); 1 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar; 2 tsp. sugar; Kosher salt; 2 sheets nori; 2 to 4 imitation crab sticks; 1 Persian cucumber, seeds removed and julienned; 1/2 avocado, sliced ¼” thick; 6 slices thinly sliced raw salmon (1 oz. total); 6 slices thinly sliced raw tuna (1 oz. total); 6 slices thinly sliced raw yellowtail (1 oz. total); Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, for serving

By Casey ElsassPublished: Jul 7, 2022

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PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Get out your chopsticks, it's time for homemade sushi night at your house. With a couple rainbow rolls, Philadelphia rolls, shrimp tempura rolls, and dragon rolls served on a platter with dishes of soy sauce, it's easy to make your kitchen feel like a Japanese restaurant. Start the meal with a bowl of seaweed salad and steamed edamame. Don't forget the sake, Japanese beers, or dry white wine!

Rainbow Rolls includes a lot of elements of traditional Japanese sushi—seasoned rice, raw fish, nori—but the composition is definitely Americanized. The inside-out roll (or uramaki) is a popular Western style where the rice is on the outside, while the sheet of nori holds the fillings in place. In this case, those fillings are creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber, and crab stick—an imitation crab product made from whitefish that’s very budget-friendly. And speaking of budget-friendly, if sushi-grade salmon, tuna, and yellowtail are just out of reach, financially or geographically, get creative and top your Rainbow Roll with with thinly sliced avocado, roasted red peppers, or smoked salmon!

P.S. You'll need a bamboo mat to make Rainbow Rolls (and most sushi). Find it online or at your local cooking store.

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Yields:: 2
Prep Time:: 10 mins
Total Time:: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

For rice

2/3 c.
sushi rice
2/3 c.
water, plus more for rinsing
1
(2”) piece kombu (optional)
1 tbsp.
unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp.
sugar
Kosher salt

For sushi rolls

2
sheets nori
2 to 4 imitation crab sticks
1
Persian cucumber, seeds removed and julienned
1/2
avocado, sliced ¼” thick
6
slices thinly sliced raw salmon (1 oz. total)
6
slices thinly sliced raw tuna (1 oz. total)
6
slices thinly sliced raw yellowtail (1 oz. total)
Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, for serving

Directions

Make rice
1. Step 1In a medium bowl, cover rice with cold water. Swirl rice with your fingers to release starches, then drain. Repeat process about 3 more times until water is mostly clear. Fill bowl with cold water again and soak rice 30 minutes before draining well.
2. Step 2In a rice cooker or medium saucepan, combine soaked rice, ⅔ cup water, and kombu, if using.
3. Step 3If using rice cooker, cook on sushi rice or white rice setting. If using saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, until rice is swollen and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Discard kombu.
4. Step 4Spread rice on a small baking sheet or 13"-by-9" baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar is dissolved, then drizzle over rice. Using a wooden spoon or rice paddle, quickly fold vinegar mixture into rice. (Don’t mix too much or rice will get sticky!) Smooth rice in an even layer and let cool about 30 minutes.
Assemble sushi rolls
1. Step 1On a bamboo sushi mat, arrange 1 nori sheet shiny-side up. Using wet fingertips, spread about 1 cup rice over surface of nori.
2. Step 2Lay a piece of plastic wrap over entire bamboo mat, covering nori and rice. Place one palm on top of plastic, centered over nori and rice. Slide your other hand under bamboo mat and flip so plastic is on work surface. Lay mat back down on surface, then slide plastic onto mat (seeds should be facing down now). Pull edges of plastic to make sure they’re covering mat.
3. Step 3Set 1 or 2 pieces of crab stick, depending on size, to cover long edge closest to you. Place half of cucumber and avocado slices next to crab.
4. Step 4Use bamboo mat to roll nori over fillings, touching down on uncovered nori. Lift bamboo mat so it doesn’t get stuck inside roll, then continue rolling up to reach far edge of nori.
5. Step 5Use mat to gently pinch and press roll to make sure it’s tight, then unroll bamboo mat and plastic. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, crab, cucumber, and avocado.
6. Step 6Drape alternating slices of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail over top of rolls. Set a piece of plastic wrap over each roll and gently press to mold fish to sides. Cut each roll into 8 pieces. Serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger.