If you love football as much as my husband Lulu does, and also happen to be a 49ers fan, you were probably frantically jumping up and down and screaming for joy as they made it to the Super Bowl last week. Lulu has been looking forward to this since they lost in overtime in last year’s NFC Championship game. To be honest, I have no clue what any of those words mean, but I’ve heard Lulu say them on several occasions.
What I do know is food and I’ve concocted a week’s worth of recipe ideas in honor of the Superbowl and the San Franciso 49ers. I may not know a first down from a field goal, but preparing fun party food for friends and family is a great way for me to get involved.
To kickoff our week of SF-friendly Super Bowl foods, here’s a combination of California rolls (avocado crab cucumber) and tuna (freshly caught by our neighbor Tom) and salmon sushi. It’s super easy; all you need is fresh ingredients and ready-cooked sushi rice. You can make several rolls in advance, and cut them throughout the party as your guests work their way through them. The other nice thing about sushi as party food is that you can easily make different fillings depending on you and your guests’ preferences and dietary restrictions.
1. Info for California Sushi Rolls and Tuna and Salmon Sushi
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 40
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for California Sushi Rolls and Tuna and Salmon Sushi
- 2⅔ cups Japanese short-grained sushi rice
- 2¾ cups water, cold
- 3½ tablespoons rice vinegar (or any white vinegar)
- 1½ teaspoons light sesame oil (optional)
- 2½ tablespoons superfine sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 11 small toasted nori sheets, 1 for rice seasoning
- 1 Hass avocado
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Persian cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
- 1 (14-ounce) log imitation crab (better choice than real crab so it doesn’t become watery)
- 1½ teaspoons sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons wasabi paste, ready-made
- 2 cups ponzu soy sauce
- ¼ cup pickled ginger
- 4 ounces fresh tuna fillet (sushi grade only), cut into ¼-inch thick log
- 4 ounces fresh salmon fillet (sushi grade only), cut into ¼-inch thick log
3. Directions:
- In a wok, dry toast the sesame seeds for about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Finely chop one small nori sheet.
- In a bowl, combine the chopped nori, salt, sugar, and sesame seeds. Toss well.
- Wash and rinse the jasmine rice thoroughly in several water baths. Unlike basmati rice, no soaking time is needed. Drain as much water as possible.
- I placed the rice in a rice cooker with water and waited for about 20 minutes. You could also cook the rice on the stove.
- Once the rice is cooked, sprinkle with rice vinegar and light sesame oil (if used). Using chopsticks, gently stir the rice without breaking the grains of rice. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Peel an dpit the avocado and cut it into long strips. Drizzle them with lemon juice to avoid oxidation.
- On a large platter, arrange the cucumbers, avocado, imitation crab, salmon, tuna logs and 5 handfuls of rice.
- Line 2 sushi mats with plastic-wrap.
- Place one small nori sheet on one mat. Sprinkle with furikake seasoning. Wet your hands with warm water and take one handful of rice. Divide it in half. Put one half in the nori sheet and spread it evenly, stopping ½-inch before the end of the rectangle. Cover with the other sushi mat. Gently press so the rice adheres to the nori sheet. Flip the whole thing over so the rice is facing down over the mat.
- Remove the mat on top. Place long strips of avocado, the cucumber matchsticks and crab in the center of the nori sheet. Using the sushi mat as a guide, tightly and slowly roll the sushi mat away from you until the rice meets the other end of the rice to seal the sushi. Press gently with both hands for about 10 seconds. Remove the rolled sushi and transfer to a cutting board, seam side down. Dip a very sharp kitchen knife in hot water and wipe it clean. Cut the California roll in half, then divide each half one more time, making 4 pieces per roll.
- Spread a very thin layer of wasabi paste onto the log of tuna (about ⅛ teaspoon). Repeat the same procedure for the salmon.
- Place a small nori sheet on the mat. Wet your hands with warm water and take one handful of rice. Divide it in half. Put one half in the nori sheet and spread it evenly, stopping ½-inch before the end of the rectangle. Gently press so the rice adheres to the nori sheet.
- Place the long strip of tuna in the center of the nori sheet. Using the sushi mat as a guide, tightly and slowly roll the sushi mat away from you until the rice meets the other end of the rice to seal the sushi. Press gently with both hands for about 10 seconds. Remove the rolled sushi and transfer to a cutting board, seam side down. Dip a very sharp kitchen knife in hot water and wipe it clean. Cut the sushi roll in half, then divide each half one more time.
- Repeat the same procedure with the salmon log.
- Serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger on the side.
- Enjoy!
