Kani + Cucumber Salad Temaki

Written By marie hart

Temaki

INGREDIENTS

  • 200 grams surimi / imitation crab sticks (kani)

  • 2 English cucumbers

  • 3 tablespoons Kewpie Mayo

  • 2 tablespoons salt

  • 4 scallions, sliced (whites and greens separated)

  • 1 tablespoons chili crisp oil

  • 2.5 teaspoons soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoons rice vinegar

  • 1 teaspoons MSG

  • 6 nori (seaweed) sheets

STEPS

1

Smash and salt the cucumbers with the flat of a knife or a rolling pin until they crack open, then tear or rough-chop them into chunky, bite-size pieces (the uneven surfaces grab the dressing better than clean cuts.) Toss with the 2 tablespoons salt (for drawing water from the cucumbers) in a bowl and let sit for about 15 minutes to pull the water out.

2

Rinse and squeeze dry: Rinse the cucumbers under cold water to wash off the excess salt (otherwise it gets WAY TOO salty) then squeeze them hard in a clean kitchen towel until they're dry and a little floppy. With no rice in this roll to soak up moisture, drying the cucumber is what keeps the nori from getting soggy and splitting.

3

Shred the crab: Pull the 200 grams surimi / imitation crab sticks (kani) apart into shreds along the grain with your fingers (don’t chop with a knife)- you get a flakier texture and more surface for the dressing to stick to.

4

Mix and rest the dressing: In a bowl, combine the shredded 200 grams surimi / imitation crab sticks (kani), 3 tablespoons Kewpie Japanese mayo, 2.5 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoons MSG, and the white parts of the 4 scallions, sliced. Stir in about two-thirds of the 1 tablespoons chili crisp oil and hold the rest back for finishing. Let it sit so the soy and MSG soak in and the flavors round out.

5

Fold it all together: Fold the squeezed cucumbers into the crab mixture. Taste and adjust by adding a teaspoon or so of rice vinegar if it needs a little more tang (avoid extra salt, the cucumber and soy are already very salty). If the mix looks wet at all, drain it once more; for hand rolls you want the filling on the dry side.

6

Crisp the nori: Right before rolling, pass each nori (seaweed) sheet over a low flame or through a dry hot pan for a few seconds per side, until it tightens and smells toasty. Crisp nori is much better for this recipe; it helps keep the rolls from getting soggy.

7

Roll and eat! Use half-sheets of nori, shiny side down. Spoon a line of filling diagonally across one half, drizzle the reserved chili crisp oil over the top, scatter greens from the scallions. Then fold the bottom corner up over the filling and roll it into a cone. Avoid overfilling- the roll might split. Serve right away while the nori is crispy!! Enjoy!

NOTES

Push the Kewpie to 4 tablespoons if you want it richer and more dressing-forward. Temaki is built to be eaten the moment it's rolled — that's why sushi bars serve them one at a time — so assemble as you are going to eat them rather than rolling ahead.

marie hart
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