Make a Sushi Sandwich (Onigirazu)

Fusion food is all the rage, so it is no surprise that sushi sandwiches have made their appearance. You can make them with the same fillings you'd put into a sushi roll, or you can make them more sandwich-like with fillings such as ham and lettuce. Once you know the basics of making sushi sandwiches, you can experiment with all sorts of interesting fillings and combinations.

Ingredients

• 1 nori sheet
• 1 cup (250 grams) cooked sushi rice
• Mayo

Fillings of Choice:

• Lettuce or baby spinach
• Red Cabbage
• Sliced tomato or avocado
• Fried chicken o pork
• Etc.

Makes 1 sandwich

Steps

Preparing Your Ingredients

1. Cook the rice and other ingredients, if needed. If you have not yet already, cook the sushi rice. If you can't find sushi rice, or if you want a healthier option, try brown rice instead.
   • The sushi rice does not need to have the extra flavoring in it.
2. Choose your desired fillings. Just about anything that you'd put into a sushi roll or bento box is a safe bet for a sushi sandwich. This includes things like sushi-grade raw fish, fish roe, and cucumber. If you don't like sushi, you can use other items too, such as:
   • Lettuce
   • Shredded, pickled red cabbage
   • Thinly sliced avocado
   • Thinly sliced tomatoes
   • Smoked salmon or sashimi
   • Chicken katsu or pork tonkatsu
   • Fried or baked tofu
3. Prepare your ingredients, if needed. If you plan on making a chicken katsu or tonkatsu sandwich, you will need to fry the chicken or pork. Let them cool before using them. If you are using any fruits or vegetables, such as avocadoes, cucumbers, or tomatoes, cut them into thin slices. If you are using raw fish, make sure that it is sushi-grade first, then cut it into thin slices, like you would sashimi.

Building the Sandwich

1. Place a nori sheet on top of a sheet of plastic wrap. Cut or tear off a sheet of plastic wrap that's bigger than your nori sheet. Place it onto your work surface, then place the nori shiny-side-down on top. Turn the nori at an angle with one of the corners pointing towards you. It should look a little like a diamond.
2. Add a thin, square layer of rice on top of the nori sheet. Use a bamboo paddle to place ½ cup (125 grams) of cooked sushi rice onto the center of the nori sheet. Wet your fingers, then shape the rice into a 3½-inch (9-centimeter) square. The square needs to be right-side-up, with one of the flat sides facing you.
3. Spread mayo on top of the rice. You can also use vegan mayo or Sriracha. Add some seasoning, such as salt and pepper, if desired.
4. Layer your desired ingredients. Make sure that the ingredients all go in the same direction. Have them all point either side-to-side or top-to-bottom. Don't arrange them perpendicular to each other.
   • For extra flavor and texture, add some white or black sesame seeds.
   • If you are making a sandwich using sushi-grade raw fish, consider adding some fish row.
5. Add some more rice. Use the remaining ½ cup (125 grams) of cooked sushi rice. Wet your fingers, and pack it into a square so that it matches up with the bottom piece.

Folding and Finishing the Sandwich

1. Fold the nori over the sandwich. Fold the left corner over onto the middle of the sandwich. Dampen the corner with a wet finger, then fold the right corner over. Repeat the process for the top and bottom corners.
   • Wrap tightly enough so that the nori is snug around the rice, but not so tightly that it rips.
2. Wrap the plastic sheet over the nori. If you want to, you can add a julienned carrot (or a carrot matchstick) on top of the sandwich first. Make sure that it runs perpendicular to the ingredients inside. This way, the layers will look nicer when you cut the sandwich.
3. Let the sandwich rest for at least 5 five minutes. You can also refrigerate it overnight. Some chefs recommend placing a cutting board, can, or box on top to help weigh the sandwich down.
   • If you used raw fish inside the sandwich, it would be better if you ate it the same day that you made it.
4. Unwrap and cut the sandwich. If you placed a julienned carrot on top of the sandwich, cut alongside the carrot, then remove the carrot.

Tips

• If the nori split open, you might have used too many ingredients. Use less next time.
• If the nori sheet comes apart, run a wet finger over the top of the folded nori to seal it.
• If the ingredients fall out, you need to wrap the nori sheet tighter next time.
• You can find special molds for making onigirazu.
• For something that resembles a sushi roll, look up the ingredients that go into real sushi rolls. Popular examples include the Californian roll and the futomaki roll.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic wrap
• Sharp knife

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Spam Sushi
• Make Sushi Rice
• Make Salmon Nigiri
• Roll Sushi
• Make a California Roll
• Make Nigiri Sushi
• Make Sushi
• Make a Dynamite Roll
• Make a Sushi Roll
• Make Cucumber Maki

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