Easy Homemade Maki Rolls

If there's one thing that I miss so much since I left the Philippines, it's eating seafood! Moving in the middle of the USA and closest ocean literally are hundreds if not a thousand plus something miles away, getting fresh seafood is almost impossible. When we discovered Island Sushi in Appleton, WI - because I was actively searching - I couldn't be any happier! A little over five years later, we still go there regularly but I've always thought... why not make it myself?

The biggest struggle is getting sushi grade fish. I don't trust eating the salmon and tuna from grocery stores raw. I also know that there is a freezing process involved to kill the parasites and bacteria. I only have a regular freezer that doesn't deep freeze so that's another story. Well, of course I can always use crab meat or shrimp, but I guess I just never had the motivation until I found this Korean store that sold Korean and Japanese goodies! There are many Asian stores here but they're mostly Hmong and the products are mostly Southeast Asian. I definitely have no complaints as they sell the food I want and need. But they didn't have much Japanese or Korean items so finding the Oriental Food Mart in Appleton was awesome.

I finally took the courage to create my own Maki Rolls! The catch? I cooked my salmon!
But why!?? I wasn't ready to risk getting parasites or getting sick. Did it taste any different? Not really. The texture is different consider that raw fish more gelatinous but it was still great (or so the Husband Bear says!). This will also be great for people who aren't fond of eating raw food.

Let's Get Started!
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Easy Maki Roll Recipe using pan seared Salmon

Alright! So before we begin, here's a few things that you need to know - I bought most of my ingredients and items locally but I got a few items online. I've included links to those that I used and was able to find online!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sushi rice
• 4 sheets roasted nori (seaweed)
• Rice Seasoning Furikake (optional)
• Eel sauce
• Salmon fillets
• Cream cheese
• Cucumber
• Garlic salt

Tools:

• Rolling mat

Let's do this!

1. Cook your rice in a rice cooker or a pot. I probably should make a tutorial for this but in the mean time, you can follow the instructions on the rice packet. If the rice is undercooked, just sprinkle water on it while in low heat, cover and repeat every three to five minutes until rice is cooked. I learned that instructions are not always reliable.
2. While rice is cooking, prepare your filling. Slice salmon into thin, long pieces, approximately 1/4 inch wide. Do the same to the cucumber and cream cheese. Make sure the cream cheese is cold otherwise it would be too soft to cut into long strips.
3. Spray some oil on a pan and fry your salmon strips on medium heat. Sprinkle some garlic salt (or just regular salt, if you prefer). It should be done when both sides are golden brown. Since the strips are pretty thin, it shouldn't take long to fry. It's also best to use a non-stick pan to avoid the fish from sticking and getting ruined. Salmon gets flaky when cooked and we don't want our salmon filling to fall apart. If it does, well - it'll still taste good!
4. Let the rice and fish cool down before rolling. Both should be on room temperature.
5. Spread your rolling mat on a flat surface. I prefer doing it on top of a wooden cutting board. This part is optional but I put a layer of plastic (cling) wrap on top of my rolling mat - it makes it easier to remove any sticky rice that goes rogue.
6. Place a layer of roasted seaweed (nori) on the mat. Using a rice spatula (or any solid, flat spatula), get some rice and flatten on the nori. I tried using bare hands but the rice will just stick on your hands unless you're wearing food grade plastic gloves.
7. This part is optional - I found these rice seasonings in the local store but I didn't get them then so I ended up getting the set online. Sprinkle the rice seasoning of your choice on the flattened rice and cover all areas.
8. Add your filling by placing the salmon, cucumber and cream cheese strips next to each other. Add some eel sauce next to your salmon, or you can add it on top later.
9. The fun part - roll!! Gentle lift the closest edge to you and roll until it covers the filling and makes a whole circle.​
10. Now you can also do it in reverse. Again, make sure you have plastic wrap - flatten a layer or rice on the plastic wrap then add the roasted seaweed and fillings. You can add the rice seasonings after it is rolled!
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Tada! Home made easy maki rolls :)

I know it sounds a little bit complicated but it's actually a lot of fun to make and it's not as tedious as it seems. I will be making a video when I make it again and also show the art of cooking rice. Don't be afraid to experiment with fillings and other sauces. What's your favorite maki roll? I'll experiment with more so stay tuned!
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