9 Ingredients That Will Make Your Salmon Skin Roll Amazing

Do you want to know the ingredients that make a salmon skin roll an awesome food? Well, this article will enumerate them for your knowledge. I've been trying to find out the secret of its remarkable taste and many sushi masters agree that it all boils down to fresh ingredients.

I was never a fan of sushi not until I tasted a whole set of salmon skin rolls. The taste of crispy salmon skins and the sweetness of eel sauce definitely changed my prejudice against sushi rolls. If you like to know what makes this sushi roll a taste to behold, discover the ingredients that constitute them.

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1. Salmon Skins

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The skin of salmon is as healthy as its meat. In fact, much of the healthy fats, like omega-3, are stored in the skin. According to University of Maryland, omega-3 may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.

When salmon skins are crispy fried, they taste like bacon. So tasty that you won't notice that you're eating fish. To prepare the salmon skin for sushi roll, remove it off from the meat just as shown in this video here 

There are actually two ways wherein you can cook the salmon skins into crispy perfection: pan fry and broil. To pan fry, slice the salmon skin intro thin strips, then fry for about a minute or until crispy. To broil, just follow these steps:

  • ​Rinse and dry the salmon skin
  • In a sheet pan, line with parchment paper and lay the skin separately
  • Sprinkle the skin with a bit of salt to taste
  • Broil on high for about seven minutes or until they turned golden and crispy
  • Place the broiled skin on a wire rack to cool, then cut into thin strips​

2. Eel Sauce

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Like any other sushi, the secret to a delicious salmon skin roll is the drizzle of eel sauce. The taste is a combination of savory, salty, and sweet.

Imagine fusing that flavorful sauce to sushi rice and crispy salmon skin, don't you just love it? Contrary to its name, you may not need an actual eel to make an eel sauce.

All you need are these ingredients:

  • 1 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
  • 1/2 cup sakeI cup white sugar
  • 4 teaspoons hon dashi pellets (or 60 ml of fish stock)
  • 1 cup soy sauce (preferably Japanese soy sauce)
  • Cornstarch mixture (1 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon water)

​In a pot, add the mirin, sake, and sugar. Stir to mix well. Once it boils, add the soy sauce, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Next, bring the sauce to a rolling boil and add the cornstarch mixture while stirring constantly. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens. You'll know when it's done once it reaches a honey-like consistency.

You can watch how the sauce is made in this video here.

3. Sushi Rice

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Aside from salmon, another determining factor for a perfect salmon skin roll is a well-cooked rice. For this reason, you need to use short-grained rice and not regular rice. Although short-grained rice can be expensive, it's worth the price once you get the taste of the output.

To make sushi rice, you need these following ingredients.

  • 1-1/2 cups short-grain rice
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 3 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 teaspoons sesame seeds

  • Before you cook the rice, rinse it first under cold running water to remove the starch. Next, add water and rice into a rice cooker and cook until done. You can also use a pot to cook the rice on the stovetop for about 12 minutes.
  • After the rice is cooked, transfer it to a wooden sushi bowl or any non-metallic bowl. It's never advisable to use metallic utensils because they may react to the vinegar and can result in bad taste. Moisten the bowl and the rice paddle a bit with a damp cloth before you transfer the rice.
  • In a separate bowl, prepare the vinegar sauce by mixing rice vinegar with sugar and sesame oil. Pour the vinegar mixture over to the hot sushi rice slowly. Don't forget the sesame seeds and carefully make quick cutting strokes to mix all ingredients together.
  • While you mix the rice with the vinegar, fan it to cool. This brings a glossy finish to your rice. To keep the rice moist, cover it with a damp cloth.

4. Cucumber

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The role of cucumber is to bring freshness to the salmon skin roll. Along with the salmon skin strip and sushi rice, a strip of cucumber will refresh the whole sushi taste. You need to peel, remove the seeds, and cut it crosswise to make thin strips.

To get an idea on how to cut cucumber for sushi properly, check this video.

Aside from the fresh taste, cucumber brings nutrients to your sushi roll. According to The World's Healthiest Foods, cucumbers offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits as well as nutrients, like vitamin K, potassium, and manganese. To select the best cucumber for your sushi, choose firm and brightly colored ones.

5. Avocado

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Another important ingredient that makes your sushi roll amazingly is a slice of avocado. Avocados give a buttery texture and a nutty flavor to your sushi. Never use watery avocados because they can dissipate the sushi's flavor.

Haas is my favorite avocado variety to use because it has a nutty and almost a fruity flavor that complements well to the fish. You can determine it through its darker appearance and coarser skin. Fuerte is also a good choice.

It is recommended that you buy unripe avocados ahead of time. This is because oftentimes, soft avocados which we think are already ripe may be squeezed by a lot of customers. You can let the firm avocados ripen by keeping them in a paper bag at room temperature for several days.

To prepare avocados for sushi, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and slice into sections. Next, remove the skin of each section, just as shown in this video here.

6. Watercress

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To add spice and crunch, watercress is a great addition to your salmon skin roll. This leafy green has a pungent and peppery flavor. It's highly nutritious as it contains high amounts of calcium, vitamin A, and iron.

You can buy watercress either in bunches or in bags. When selecting for the best, look for crisp, dark green leaves. The leaves should not have any sign of wilting.

To prepare, just wash it under running water and shake to dry. You can utilize the leaves and stems, but not the tough roots.

7. Nori

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You possibly notice the paper-like seaweed that wraps a sushi roll. Well, that's what you call nori also known as laver. It is vital to all sushi because it is the part that holds all ingredients together.

Nori offers a distinct seaweed flavor to your sushi. Don't be fooled by its thin structure because it holds a lot of nutrients, like iron, dietary fiber, and calcium. A fresh nori should be very dry, so it can stick to the sushi rice.

You can buy nori in most Asian stores and markets. As possible, buy in smaller packs because nori sheets are difficult to store after opening. The smallest pack contains about 10 sheets.

8. Wasabi

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Via wired.com

If we talk about sushi, wasabi is always a favorite dipping. Wasabi is a Japanese condiment that comes from an olive-green root of horseradish. To use wasabi properly, place a small amount directly on the sushi roll, then dip it into the soy sauce.

It's important to know that wasabi is extremely hot, so you only need a little. The sophisticated flavor of the wasabi can clean your palate very well. More importantly, it can repress the growth of bacteria that may cause food poisoning.

9. Soy Sauce

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Another popular dipping for salmon skin roll is soy sauce. As possible, use Japanese soy sauce because it tends to be a sweeter and less salty than ordinary soy sauce. It's not proper to touch the rice part of the sushi into the soy sauce because it will destroy the flavor and make it fall apart easily.

Mixing soy sauce with wasabi is never a good idea because it destroys each other taste. As possible, slightly dip your salmon skin roll into the soy sauce. The purpose of the soy sauce is to improve the flavors, not overpower them.

Roll Some Salmon Skin Today!

Did you have fun reading the list of ingredients to make an awesome salmon skin roll? Thanks to this list I can be a sushi master in the kitchen. Several ingredients that you need include sushi rice, nori, eel sauce, and salmon skin.

You can read more about how to make a simple salmon roll in here

If you have any suggestions or questions, please don't hesitate to post them below. Don't forget to share this wonderful list to those who you think need this information the most.

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