Philadelphia Roll
Salmon and cream cheese, the deli-inspired favorite. An inside-out roll that looks restaurant-made but uses a simple plastic-wrap trick.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 3
- Level
- Medium
Photo: Katty Frank / Pexels
Inside-out rolls look impressive, but the technique is mostly about a plastic-wrapped mat and patience. Buy salmon labeled for raw eating and keep it on ice right up to the moment you slice it; cold fish cuts cleaner and tastes sweeter. Japanese cucumbers have tiny seeds and thin skin, so there is no need to peel or scoop them. Serve it with green tea or a crisp, cold drink.
Method
Rinse 3 cups of short-grain rice in a bowl of cold water, swirling and draining four or five times until the water runs almost clear. Let it drain in a sieve for 15 minutes.
Add the rice and 3 1/4 cups of cold water to your rice cooker with a strip of kombu and use the white rice setting. When it clicks off, leave it closed for 10 more minutes.
Warm 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt just until dissolved. Spread the hot rice in a wide bowl, drizzle the vinegar over a paddle and fold with slicing motions while fanning, until glossy and body temperature.
While the rice cools, cut the salmon into long strips about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the cucumber into long thin batons. Cut the cream cheese into long strips.
Spread a thin layer of rice over a half sheet of nori, edge to edge. Scatter sesame seeds over the rice, turn the sheet rice side down onto the wrapped mat and line up the fillings on the nori.
Arrange salmon, cream cheese and cucumber in a line along the nori. Roll tightly with the mat, pressing into a neat square-edged log.
Slice the roll into 8 pieces with a wet sharp knife, wiping the blade between each cut.
Finish with a little soy sauce and serve right away.
Chef's note
Chill a finished roll for 5 minutes before slicing heavy toppings.
From the Signature Rolls counter
Inside-out rolls with toppings and crunch. Explore more recipes that use the same techniques and pantry.
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