Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls – Temaki

I’m not sure when we discovered that my niece Nini had a knack for knocking out some amazing Spicy Tuna but once we did, there was no turning back. It has everything to do with this “crack sauce” she created to bind the fish. And incidentally, that sauce is pretty brilliant for a bunch of different things like dipping fries in or as schmears for seafood burgers.

At our last family dinner, I mentioned that seestrah’s neighbor had gifted them with a whole bunch of freshly caught yellowfin tuna (sigh….I love living in California) so we seized the opportunity and put Nini to work on a bunch of temaki (sushi hand rolls).

In truth, you could use any type of sashimi grade seafood for this preparation –ahi, salmon, scallops, shrimp…..the ocean (or lake) is the limit! But remember–it’s got to be sashimi grade since there is no heat used to cook the fish.

Oh Nini, what a cutie-patootie and rockin’ little chef.

She started off with the crack sauce which is really a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Things like mayo, sambal chili, sriracha, soy, sesame oil and such. She then folded some of the sauce into the chopped tuna.

We didn’t include it here but if you wanted an extra kick {you wild animal, you!}, throw in some finely minced jalapeno or serrano peppers. They’d add an extra level of heat with a bit of nice crunch.

Then we got rocking and rolling!

Nori, daikon shoots, avocado slices, more crack sauce………thinly sliced cucumber strips would have been also a great addition.

And of course, the star of the whole deal–the onolicious fish! Throw on a few heaping spoonfuls of that spicy lusciousness.

On a side note, I have to apologize for the weird hue of these photos. It’s takes more talent than I possess to tinker around with my camera settings while keeping one hand constantly filled with these overflowing temaki that I couldn’t stop eating.

I have no shame.

Speaking of which– temaki are meant to be eaten right after they’re rolled so that the nori retains the crispness. If not, they become a bit wilty like these little guys below. But of course, that didn’t stop us for inhaling them.

And that’s it! Beautiful, homemade temaki!

Thanks Nini ❤ !

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Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls {Temaki}
Makes approximately 18-20 rolls

Ingredients:

1½ cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Sambal Oelek chili garlic paste, more or less depending on heat preference
2 tablespoons Sriracha, more or less depending on heat preference
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons tobiko (fish roe), divided
4 tablespoons chopped chives, divided
2 pounds sashimi grade tuna, roughly chopped
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 cups cooked sushi rice
2-3 ripe avocados, sliced
1 package daikon radish shoots, approximately 2 cups
10 sheets nori (toasted seaweed), cut in ½ lengthwise–you should end up with 20 long sheets about 4 x 8 inches
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Sambal, Sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons tobiko and 2 tablespoons chives. Portion out about ½ the sauce into a clean bowl. Cover and refrigerate. With the remaining sauce, fold in the chopped tuna. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining salt, rice wine vinegar and sugar. While the sushi rice is still hot, drizzle the liquid over the grains and fold it through to thoroughly coat. Allow the rice to cool to room temperature.

Prepare the hand rolls. Lay one nori sheet lengthwise in your hand and add a small pile of daikon radish shoots in the center. Place 2-3 slices of avocado on top and then a small scoop of the cooled rice. Place a few spoonfuls of the reserved spicy sauce over the rice before topping with a generous scoop of the tuna on top. Carefully fold the left of the nori over in a diagonal motion, tightly rolling until you’ve created a secured cone. Top with scallions, sesame seeds and a small scoop of tobiko. Serve immediately.