Salmon and Caviar Temaki
A luxe hand roll with briny pearls. The fillings are simple so the technique can shine.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 2
- Level
- Medium
Photo: Horizon Content / Pexels
Line up every filling before you start and this roll comes together in minutes. 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. Lumpfish roe gives the same glossy look as caviar for a fraction of the price. Serve it with green tea or a crisp, cold drink.
Method
Rinse 2 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.
Cook the rice with 2 1/4 cups of water and a small square of kombu in a rice cooker, or in a covered heavy pot: bring to a boil, then keep it on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest 10 minutes with the lid on.
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.
For the filling, cut the salmon into long strips about 1/2 inch thick.
Cut nori sheets in half and keep them dry until the last minute; set out the rice, fillings and a bowl of water so everyone can assemble at the table.
Hold a half sheet of nori shiny side down in your left palm. Spread 3 tablespoons of rice over the left third, lay the fillings diagonally across the rice, then fold the bottom left corner up and roll into a cone.
Eat each hand roll immediately while the nori is still crisp.
Chef's note
Keep nori sealed until you need it; it absorbs humidity quickly.
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