Spicy Crab Rolls

Though it takes many years to become a professional sushi master, you (yes, you!) can make a delicious roll at home with a few key ingredients. This spicy crab variety utilizes inexpensive imitation crab, called surimi, to create the beloved creamy and piquant roll. If you’ve got fresh crab on hand—lucky you!—it would be delicious in surimi’s place.

The Rice

Getting the rice right is the trickiest part of making sushi. Luckily, we have a very detailed sushi rice primer to set you up for success. Read it carefully and check out the video to see exactly how it’s done. If you end up with enough rice for an extra roll, make an experimental one using whatever you’ve got in your fridge: leftover meat, herbs, etc. Who knows, maybe you'll end up with a new favorite roll.

The Spice

Because we like a little extra *kick* in our rolls, we throw in a bit of ground cayenne. We recommend starting with 1/4 teaspoon, tasting the mixture, and adding more if you like. You can also experiment with other spicy ingredients like chili oil, sambal oelek, or julienned jalapeño to achieve your desired heat level.

The Sushi Mat

Though you can roll your sushi with a sheet of plastic wrap, we find reusable bamboo mats much easier to work with. If you’re a sushi lover, we’re sure you’ll get plenty of use from it! If you’d like to see it in action, check out June’s video for kimbap around the 6-minute mark.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!