Making Hamachi Maki (Yellowtail and Scallion Roll)
This is my favorite roll in the world, the buttery hamachi maki, AKA yellowtail with scallion roll. is perfectly complimented by the scallion which has a more gentle taste taste than other allium (onion family) foods. While many restaurants mince the leftover yellowtail that remains when they slice a fillet for nigiri sushi or sashimi, I prefer the texture of a solid hunk of fish (an issue I address in my entry, When Sushi is More than Sushi). This roll is the best example I can think of that shows how a seemingly minor addition can make a world of difference. Yellowtail, or Hamachi in Japanese, is a magical fish that is almost like eating a stick of butter that is good for your heart.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup seasoned sushi rice
- 1 sheet of nori (dried seaweed sheets)
- 1.5 oz yellowtail (hamachi), sliced into strips or minced if you prefer
- a few chopped pieces of scallion (green onion)
Directions:
- Place one sheet of nori on your bamboo mat, with the shiny side facing down.
- Gently cover the nori with your prepared sushi rice, keeping the far side of the nori sheet free of rice for a width of about an inch and a half.
- Arrange the yellowtail across the middle section of the rice, either as slices or as a row of minced fish.
- Sprinkle the chopped scallion across the fish. You don’t need much to still impart enough flavor.
- Start folding up the roll, keeping a careful eye in the ingredients as you work the roll. As you roll up to the top, tighten the roll by pressing down on your mat forming a somewhat square shape.
- Slice the roll in half, arrange the two halves together, and make three more slices (four if you think you can fit them) and you will have a six to eight piece roll. This is not a particularly thick roll and with practice, will easily produce 8 pieces.
- Enjoy your hamachi maki (yellowtail roll)!
Makes 1 roll