Alaska Roll Recipe

Can you say no to sushi? Absolutely not! No one can, especially if that’s a famous Alaska roll invented in Japan sometime during the 1980s. The name Alaska comes from the shape of the state on the map, but the color makes it so striking. 

Alaskan Roll is like a piece of art with red, green, and yellow colors bursting from it. The main ingredients are raw salmon, tuna, crab, and cucumber, making a traditional seafood sushi roll.

This sushi roll is a delicious and light appetizer or dinner preparation. However, the best thing is that it is super easy to make on your own, and this Alaska Roll sushi recipe will prove that.

How to Make Alaska Roll

If you love Japanese food, you will love Alaska Roll, not only because it calls for simple ingredients. This sushi roll is slightly different from any other sushi you’ve had in the past. 

It has a seafood filling that includes salmon fish, crab meat, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and rice. 

Besides, Alaska Roll Sushi is also known as the Salmon Roll Sushi, one of the easiest and the most delicious rolls to make. It comes together in minutes but leaves you craving more for hours or even days, just as you have the first bite. 

One benefit is that you can also make Alaska Rolls when you’re in a hurry since it works for a delicious lunch or dinner option.

With no more suspense, let’s compile a list of ingredients we’ll need for this one-of-a-kind sushi roll.

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

For sushi rice:

• 1 cup white rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

For the Alaskan Roll:

• 1 sheet Nori
• 6 oz 6 thin slices sushi grade salmon
•  ¼ cup Alaskan crab meat (or Imitation crab meat)
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)
• ½ tsp sriracha (optional)
• 2-3 slices of cucumber (cut into matchsticks)
• 2-3 slices of avocado
• Pickled ginger (optional)
• Wasabi (optional)

For the topping:

• Spicy sriracha spicy mayo
• Eel sauce
• Tobiko sauce
• Bang bang sauce
• White or black sesame seeds

Instructions

The texture and taste of the Alaska Roll sushi are very complex due to the range of ingredients it gathers. This makes it one of the most popular rolls in the world, with a few knowing secrets of how to make it taste good at home. 

We’re now ready to let those secrets away. Making sushi rolls at home from scratch only seems effortless. All of the tiniest details contribute to the complex flavor palate of the future Alaska sushi roll. So the first tip is to pay attention to the details. 

Don’t add too much water when cooking sushi rice, or it will become mushy. Then don’t overcook it since it will be hard and not pliable enough. 

The next challenge is to get Nori to stick. If you’re having difficulty achieving that, smash a few grains of rice where the nori needs to stick. It should do the trick.

Once you get the hang of those things, the rest of the recipe steps will come naturally. We’ll cover each stage separately, so it is easier to follow and replicate.

Step 1: 

Cook the sushi rice. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer to remove the excess starch. Then strain off any extra water. 

Pour 1 tablespoon of salt and rice into a saucepan with water. Cook for about 6 minutes on high pressure in the instant pot (ideal for this) and about 12-13 minutes in a saucepan; cover it while cooking.

Step 2: 

Transfer the rice to a large bowl and allow it to cool a little. Stir in the sushi vinegar to the warm rice.

Step 3: 

Prepare the filling. Shred the crab meat and combine it with mayo and sriracha in a small bowl. 

Step 4: 

Place the bamboo mat on top of the piece of plastic wrap. Then fold the nori sheet with scissors and place half of it on the mat. 

Step 5: 

Gently spread about ¾ cup of cooked rice along the edges of the nori sheet using wet hands. 

Note: make sure not to press too hard since you’ll make the rice mushy. 

Step 6: 

Flip the rice and nori sheets over (so the rice is on the bottom). If you fail, try again and press harder. It might be hard only for the first time. 

Step 7: 

Add crab mixture, avocado, and cucumber in the middle and on top of the nori. Ensure not to overload your roll with fillings since it won’t close properly. 

Step 8:

Put your thumbs under the bamboo mat and lift the edge over the filling. Apply some pressure to the mat and roll it away until you reach the opposite end. 

Remove the bamboo mat gently. You will have the inside-out Alaska sushi roll.

Step 9: 

Top your Alaska Roll sushi with thin slices of fresh or smoked salmon and cover with plastic wrap. Then slice the roll with a knife.

Remember to wipe it with a wet towel with each slice to prevent it from getting sticky. 

Step 10: 

Serve the sushi roll with soy sauce for a more traditional pairing or with some Masago sauce for a different experience.

Ingredient Substitution

When it comes to sushi, you can probably experiment with all the ingredients as long as you keep the rice and nori intact. However, when it comes to Alaska Roll, there is not much you can remove or add if you want to keep this iconic roll original. 

Still, we’ve got some options to consider for experimenting without changing texture or taste too much. 

White Wine Vinegar

White wine vinegar is made through the fermentation of white wine into vinegar. It has a slightly acidic, mild taste that shares a flavor profile similar to rice vinegar. Correspondingly, you can easily swap the two for this recipe. 

However, you might need to add a bit of sugar to the white wine vinegar to compensate for the sweetness of the rice vinegar. Other than that, you can substitute it in a 1:1 ratio.

Tabasco

Tabasco is an American hot sauce brand available in almost every store. Although it has a thinner consistency than sriracha, Tabasco uses some of the same ingredients, like chili peppers and vinegar, which makes it a worthwhile alternative.

Besides, Tabasco is a little more potent than sriracha, so be careful when using it as an alternative. However, the number of flavors of tabasco will make your sushi roll exciting and distinguished.

Trout

Sushi rolls without salmon, is it a joke? We’re not joking here since trout is one of the best salmon substitutes for your sushi. Although this fish has a similar flavor, taste, and nutritional value, it can sometimes have a muddy flavor.

Moreover, trout has a similar orange color to salmon so no one will notice a swap. And it is cheaper and more available too. You can’t just overlook those benefits.

What to Serve with Alaska Roll

Alaska Roll is a pretty filling appetizer or main, as you please. So usually, you won’t need to pair it with anything except soy sauce. Nevertheless, for an ultimate Japanese food experience, you have to think harder and find something that goes well on sushi. 

Since we did all the hard work, skim through these pairings.

Tempura

What could be better than pairing traditional Japanese sushi with another Japanese staple? Tempura is super easy to make and very addictive, whether shrimp or vegetable tempura. 

Alaska roll and tempura make up for a classic combo you can order or make yourself. The secret to making it home is a crisp and fluffy batter from wheat flour and iced water. Don’t tell anyone!

Edamame

Edamame is young soya beans still in their pods blanched in salted water, boiled, and steamed. It doesn’t taste as good as the KFC green beans; it’s better. Alaska sushi roll is a gorgeous squidgy in which edamame beans add a crunch contrast. 

The edamame in their gorgeous crunchy skins and succulent inners are the perfect partner for sushi. This pairing is just too good to miss.

How to Store Alaska Roll

When it comes to sushi, the first question that comes up once some sushi is left is whether it is safe to store them in the fridge or freezer. You might also wonder whether it will taste good after storing. 

If you do everything correctly, you will still have time to enjoy this flavorful Alaska Roll.

Store Alaska Roll in the Fridge

To store the Alaskan sushi roll in the fridge, start by wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap. Then place your roll into a dry container with an airtight lid and refrigerate immediately. 

The roll could last like this for about 24 hours in the fridge. 

Store Alaska Roll in the Freezer

The best way to preserve the roll leftovers in a safe environment is to store them in the freezer. Wrap the roll tightly with the plastic wrap, ensuring no air reaches the food. Then the tightly wrapped roll in an airtight container and put into the freezer. 

Properly stored Alaska Roll sushi will last in the freezer for about 2-3 days.