New York sushi rolls are a lovely modern take on classic sushi rolls. New York sushi rolls use sautéed shrimp and cucumber slices to liven up the conventional sushi roll.
The dish is full of bright marine notes emanating from the sautéed shrimp.
Why We Love New York Sushi Rolls
Just like regular sushi rolls, New York sushi rolls are excellent appetizers. The shrimp and cucumber add to their elegance.
They are perfect for entertaining guests. It’s easy to pop these tasty morsels into your mouth one after the other! They are nearly addictive. It’s why they make superb finger food.
The sautéed shrimp works beautifully with the cucumber, avocado, sushi rice, and Nori seaweed sheets.
What You Will Need
Ingredients
Ingredients for Sushi Rice
- 2 cups of Japanese short-grain cooked rice
- 50 ml rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
Ingredients for New York Sushi Rolls
- 1 lb of shrimp
- 1 seedless cucumber, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 3 Nori seaweed sheets
- 3 tbsps of olive oil
- 1 oz of sushi-grade salmon (optional)
- 1 oz of sushi-grade tuna (optional)
- 1 oz of sushi-grade yellowtail/hamachi (optional)
- 1 tbsp of sesame seeds (optional)
Ingredients for Spicy Mayo Sauce (Optional)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp sriracha sauce
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Bamboo Rolling Mat
- Pan or Skillet
- Saucepan
How To Make New York Sushi Rolls
Step 1: Make The Sushi Rice
Dissolve a tablespoon each of salt and sugar in 50 ml of rice vinegar as you heat it over a low flame. Mix the rice vinegar with your uncooked Japanese short-grain rice to prepare for making sushi rice.
Step 2: Prepare The Shrimp
Quickly sautée your shrimp in olive oil while your rice is cooking. Allow your rice to cool before proceeding to the next step. Use a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook your shrimp all the way through on both sides. This step will take you less than 5 minutes. Cut the shrimp into little pieces.
Step 3: Prepare Nori Sheet Wraps
Use your bamboo rolling mat for this step. Place a sheet of Nori seaweed over it. Place clumps of cooled-down rice on the rough side of the Nori seaweed sheet.
If you’d like, sprinkle some sesame seeds into the rice.
Step 4: Filling
Turn over the Nori seaweed sheet so that you can begin to arrange the rolls’ filling. Arrange your filling pieces in horizontal lines across the sheet. The filling consists of diced sautéed shrimp, sliced cucumber, and avocado pieces.
Step 5: Optional Filling
If you’d like, add in pieces of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail as you’d do for regular sushi. You can also sprinkle a few sesame seeds on the filling.
Step 6: Serve
Use the bamboo rolling mat to roll up your Nori seaweed sheet with the filling. Make sure the big roll is nicely tight before gently cutting it into smaller rolls.
You can serve it with spicy mayo sauce, a mixture of mayonnaise, and sriracha sauce.
Tips and Tricks
When arranging your filling, be sure to leave a small gap. This gap will help when rolling up the big roll. Use a cast iron pan or skillet to sear your shrimp perfectly. A non-stick pan won’t help you achieve this sear.
There are two kinds of sushi rolls: uramaki sushi and maki sushi. Uramaki sushi rolls have a sticky rice coating on the outside. On the other hand, maki sushi rolls contain the sushi rice within the nori seaweed wrap.
This recipe makes uramaki sushi rolls. If you’d like, try making New York sushi rolls that are maki sushi, that is, with the rice inside the nori wraps.
If you want to get creative, consider making basket-weaved cucumber wrappers instead of traditional Nori seaweed. You will create beautiful, delicate, and uniquely delicious New York rolls.
These rolls contain a balanced amount of sushi rice. Be mindful that the rice might not stick well to the cucumber slices due to their moisture. You also don’t have to use any ingredients besides those listed above.
For New York sushi rolls, shrimp replaces the fish. But you can use both shrimp and sushi-grade fish for filling. You will get a colorful and exciting sea-inspired dish!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of rice should I use to make a New York sushi roll?
Short-grain Japanese rice. It is sticky because of its high glutinous content. You should not use long-grain or medium-grain rice because they will not be sticky enough.
Why does sushi rice need rice vinegar?
The rice vinegar helps make the rice sticky, keeps the sushi roll fresh, and gives it flavor.
Why does my New York sushi roll keep falling apart?
You are probably not using a knife that is sharp enough. Dampen your knife blade with a wet paper towel to reduce friction between it and the seaweed.
You also probably used too much rice or a too-small seaweed sheet.
Summary
There you have it, folks! Follow this unique recipe to make fantastic New York sushi rolls. These delicious and colorful sushi rolls are an excellent pick-me-up.
Feel free to use, substitute or leave out the optional ingredients. Don’t touch the shrimp, though! They’re the centerpiece of this masterful dish.
Best New York Sushi Roll Recipe
Course: Uncategorized8
servings30
minutes15
minutesIngredients
2 cups of short-grain Japanese cooked rice
50 ml of rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 lb of shrimp
1 seedless cucumber, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
3 Nori seaweed sheets
3 tbsps of olive oil
1 oz of sushi-grade salmon (optional)
1 oz of sushi-grade tuna (optional)
1 oz of sushi-grade yellowtail/hamachi (optional)
1 tbsp of sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)
2 tsp sriracha sauce (optional)
Directions
- Rinse the rice using a strainer and running cold water until the water turns clear.
- Boil the rice using medium-high heat, then turn it to low, cook for 10 minutes, and let it sit covered for 15 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, sautée the shrimp in olive oil using a skillet over medium heat.
- Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes each on both sides until they’re almost opaque. Cut the shrimp into little pieces and set them aside.
- Heat a cup of rice vinegar in a saucepan over low heat as you dissolve a tablespoon each of salt and sugar in it.
- Mix the rice vinegar into the cooked rice using a wooden spoon and let it cool to just over room temperature.
- Place a sheet of Nori seaweed over a bamboo rolling mat with the rough side facing up.
- Gently smooth clumps of rice over the rough side of the seaweed sheet until they stick.
- (Optional) Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the rice.
- Arrange the diced sautéed shrimp, sliced cucumber, and avocado pieces in horizontal lines across the blank side of the Nori seaweed sheet, leaving a small gap.
- (Optional) Add sushi-grade salmon, tuna, and yellowtail pieces as extra filling.
- (Optional) Sprinkle some sesame seeds into the filling.
- Use your bamboo rolling mat to firmly roll up the Nori seaweed sheet and filling into one big roll.
- Use a damp knife to cut the big roll into smaller-sized rolls.
- (Optional) Make spicy mayonnaise by mixing mayonnaise and sriracha sauce.
- (Optional) Serve with spicy mayonnaise.
Hiroshi Nakamura, a Tokyo-born sushi chef turned US-based writer and critic, is the voice behind ichisushi.com, blending traditional sushi wisdom with modern insights.