It’s easy to be a fan of sushi, but chances are you haven’t encountered the really amazing stuff; one thing that will absolutely blow your mind when you’ve had it prepared by a top sushi chef is volcano roll sushi. You can probably find this item on many sushi menus around the world, but not all of them will be done right.
It’s quite a distinctive sushi. It’s got this taste of hot and cool (mostly hot, though) that other rolls don’t. It was so amazing I practically had to beg the chef for the recipe; it didn’t take much, though, as my face was quite familiar around those parts. I was a regular, you see.
I can vividly remember the first time I prepared it; I knew I was in way over my head, and it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it, but I knew that it was the start of something beautiful. As time went on, I tried it a few more times until I eventually settled on a way that I can say I’m completely satisfied with.
If you’re looking for a way to prepare your own, today is your lucky day; I am going to be showing you a comprehensive step by step guide on how to properly prepare volcano roll sushi. But first, let’s look at the sushi itself.
What is a Volcano Roll?
The volcano roll is a type of Japanese sushi that consists of very spicy tuna, cucumber in the middle and a rock shrimp on top, with a little basil oil to complement.
That’s the general definition, but really the contents of this spicy sushi roll vary. One thing that’s consistent across all volcano rolls is that their visual presentation is made to resemble a volcanic eruption, hence the name “volcano roll.” The only explosion here, though, is an explosion of flavor.
A Volcano roll Recipe for the Best Tasting Sushi Roll
Preparing your ingredients
Recipes for the volcano roll may differ, for example in terms of the type of seafood used. Some might decide to use scallops or salmon instead of shrimp. Aside from that, though, every other ingredient is pretty much the same all the time. For preparing this dish, you will need the following volcano roll ingredients:
- Sushi rice: 3 cups of sushi rice, 3 cups of water, ½ cup of rice vinegar, ¼ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt
- Crab salad: 1 package of crab legs, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, ½ cup of Red chili flakes, 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- Spicy tuna: 1 lb. sashimi-grade tuna, 3 teaspoons of sriracha, ¼ cup of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of green onion minced
- For mayo sauce: 2 tablespoons of mayo, 2 teaspoons of sriracha
- For Wasabi sauce: 2 tablespoons of mayo, ½ teaspoon of wasabi paste
- Vegetables: 2 cucumbers julienned, 2 cups of avocados pitted, peeled and sliced
Equipment needed
Bamboo mat to roll the sushi- Plastic wrap
- Package of dried seaweed (nori)
- Medium saucepan
- Large bowls
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Two squeeze bottles
Directions
- First things first, wash the sushi rice until the water is clear. Cook with a rice cooker if possible; in case you don’t have one, any other method will do fine.
- Combine the rest of ingredients (sugar, salt, rice vinegar) and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Pour the sugar mixture into the cooker with the rice and stir until it becomes cool. You can use a fan to speed up the process. If this is done properly, it should come out very sticky and leave your hands wet. This is good. When done, set the rice aside.
- Next up, prepare the crab salad by gently breaking up the crab either with your hands or a food processor. Break them into very tiny pieces.
Mix the broken-up crab with mayonnaise, sriracha, red chili flakes and set aside.- Mince the tuna, add the rest of the ingredients, mix thoroughly and set aside.
- For the mayo sauce, mix the mayo with sriracha and place in a squeeze bottle. If you don’t have one, you can use a clean plastic bag with the tip cut off. Same goes for the wasabi sauce.
Preparing your sushi roll
Now for the main business of the day.
- Spread a thin layer of the already-cooked rice on a piece of your nori (do this with your hands wet), ensuring that you leave at least a half-inch margin on both sides of the nori. Next, flip it over to your plastic wrap, you can do this with a plastic wrap covered with the bamboo sushi mat.
- Place about 3-4 strips of cucumber, 4 slices of avocado and 2 tablespoons of crab mixture on the spread out nori.
- Roll the nori right from the non-rice end with the ingredients inside. Roll it tightly like a carpet, but not too tight. Ensure the plastic wrap doesn’t get wrapped up inside. Use a bamboo mat to reaffirm the shape, making sure it is well compacted.
- Carefully remove the plastic wrap and, with a sharp knife, cut each roll into 8 pieces or as many as you like. Add a thin layer of the already-prepared spicy tuna to the top.
- Arrange cut rolls on a plate and then top up with sauces. You can add a small amount of sriracha if you like. Garnish with a bit of wasabi and ginger and serve with soy sauce. Squeeze mayonnaise on top and enjoy.
Alternatively, you can add the spicy tuna to the top together with the volcano roll sauce before cutting into individual pieces.
Note: you can decide to fry the roll to make a fried volcano roll. Make the outer coating of your sushi comes out crispy by first making a tempura batter. Hold the sushi tight at both ends and roll on the batter which has been poured on a plate.
Once that is done transfer the roll to a plate of panko bread crumbs. Roll back and forth so the bread crumbs stick. Next, transfer the roll to a fryer. Allow frying for about 4 minutes, until the casings become light golden-brown. This also allows enough time for the center of your seafood to cook properly.
When the roll is cooked, use metal tongs to remove from the fryer and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes and voilà: you have a crispy deep-fried sushi roll sitting in front of you.
Final Thoughts
Volcano roll sushi is unique and distinctive, even compared to other sushi rolls. Its spice gets me every time and I can never get enough. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous in the kitchen, this recipe should make clear that anything is possible — even a sophisticated sushi dish. Try out this recipe to really spice things up.
