These Alaska Rolls Are The Ultimate Excuse To Make Sushi

We know sushi is Japanese, but there are plenty of U.S.-born rolls that we have come to adore. Obviously the California roll might be the top on your list. But if you’ve never had an Alaska roll, you’re missing out.

It’s a celebration of one of Alaska’s biggest exports: salmon. We’ve found in our research that an Alaska roll refers to any number of rolls that have thin slices of salmon on the outside. We wanted to honor another one of Alaska’s best seafoods, crab, so we made a simple spicy crab filling. If you can’t get canned or fresh crab meat, or simply want to save a few bucks, you can use surimi or kani, which is imitation crab that can be truly delicious.

Making sushi at home may seem intimidating, but with the right tools and a couple of tips, it can be an amazing way to have a simple, healthy dinner. The first thing you’ll need is something to roll the sushi with. You can just use plastic wrap, but we find that not only is using a traditional bamboo mat or a silicone one better for the environment, it makes it easier to form the sushi. Additionally using wet hands to avoid any of the ingredients from sticking to you, and a very sharp knife will keep things from getting sticky.

Yields: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 8 oz.

  lump crab meat or surimi (imitation crab), picked over, shredded into long strands

• 3 tbsp.

  mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie)

• 2 tbsp.

  sriracha

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

• 2

  toasted nori sheets

• 3 c.

  cooked sushi rice, divided

• 2

  Persian cucumbers, peel and cut into spears

• 1

  avocado, thinly sliced

• 1/2 lb.

  sushi-grade salmon

Wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine crab meat, mayo, and sriracha; season with salt and pepper.
2. Slice nori sheets in half crosswise so you have 4 equal rectangles. On a bamboo mat, arrange 1 nori sheet shiny side down.
3. Spoon 3/4 cup rice over nori. Using wet hands, press rice into an even layer. Slowly peel nori off the mat, flip, and place rice side down. Arrange one-quarter of crab mixture in center of nori horizontally in a straight line.
4. Place cucumber over crab mixture to form a straight line across nori. Arrange avocado next to cucumber.
5. Lift bamboo mat from the end closest to you and use it to guide edge of rice into a tight spiral. Firmly squeeze along mat to compact roll, then continue to roll in a spiral log to seal edge. Repeat to make 3 more rolls.
6. Thinly slice salmon against the grain and on a bias. Layer salmon on rolls so slices cover top and sides of roll and there are no gaps in between pieces of salmon.
7. Return roll to bamboo mat. Using mat, form salmon into a roll shape.
8. Using a sharp knife, cut rolls into pieces, wiping off any excess rice or avocado in between slices. Serve with wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce alongside.

Alaska Rolls