Boston Roll

By Casey ElsassPublished: Aug 2, 2022

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PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

You might have already guessed from the name: The Boston roll is a classic of Americanized sushi. Rolled uramaki-style, with the rice wrapped around the nori, the fillings are a simple mix of poached shrimp, crunchy cucumber, and rich avocado. What makes the roll really special is the addition of tobiko, or fish roe, on the outside of the rice. Briny, crunchy, and vibrantly orange or red, it makes every bite extra special. But if tobiko is out of your reach (or out of your budget), there are easy substitutions like seaweed, caviar, or even furikake seasoning in a pinch! Make a restaurant-worthy meal by serving your Boston roll with a homemade seaweed salad and tempura.

To quickly poach some shrimp, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp, cover, and remove from the heat so they poach gently. After 2 to 3 minutes, they should be cooked through and opaque. Chill before using in sushi. Climate-friendly tip: Look for sustainably sourced shrimp at the market or ask your fishmonger for the best selection—frozen is often a good choice.

You'll need a bamboo mat to make a Boston roll and other sushi rolls like rainbow rolls, Philadelphia rolls, and dragon rolls.

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Yields:: 2
Prep Time:: 10 mins
Total Time:: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

Rice

2/3 c.
sushi rice
2/3 c.
water, plus more for rinsing
1
(2") piece kombu (optional)
1 tbsp.
unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp.
granulated sugar
1/4 tsp.
kosher salt

Sushi Rolls

2
sheets toasted nori
4 tbsp.
tobiko or seaweed caviar, divided
4
poached jumbo shrimp (2 1/2 to 3 oz.), peeled and tails removed
1
Persian cucumber, seeds removed and julienned
1/2
avocado, sliced
Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, for serving

Directions

Rice
1. Step 1In a medium bowl, cover rice with cold water. Swirl rice with your fingers to release starches, then drain. Repeat process about 3 more times until water is mostly clear. Fill bowl with cold water again and soak rice 30 minutes before draining well.
2. Step 2In a rice cooker or medium saucepan, combine soaked rice, kombu, and 2/3 cup water. Use sushi rice or white rice setting on rice cooker. If using a saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, until rice is swollen and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Discard kombu.
3. Step 3Spread cooked rice on a small baking sheet or in a 13"-by-9" baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar is dissolved, then drizzle over rice. Using a wooden spoon or rice paddle, quickly fold vinegar into rice. (Don’t mix too much or rice will get sticky!) Smooth rice into an even layer and let cool about 30 minutes.
Sushi Rolls
1. Step 1Place a piece of nori, shiny side up, on top of a bamboo sushi mat. Using wet fingertips, spread about 1 cup rice evenly over surface of nori. Cover rice with 2 tablespoons tobiko.
2. Step 2Lay a piece of plastic wrap over entire bamboo mat, covering nori and rice. Place one palm on top of plastic, centered over nori and rice. Slide your other hand under bamboo mat and flip so plastic is on work surface. Lay mat back down on surface, then slide plastic onto mat (rice should be facing down now). Pull edges of plastic to make sure they’re covering the mat.
3. Step 3Arrange 2 shrimp on long edge closest to you, letting tail ends poke out of the side. Arrange half of cucumber and half of avocado next to shrimp.
4. Step 4Using bamboo mat, roll nori over itself, wrapping up fillings. Lift bamboo mat so it doesn’t get stuck inside roll, then continue to roll up to reach far edge of nori. Using mat, gently pinch and press roll to make sure it’s tight, then unroll bamboo mat and plastic. Transfer roll to a cutting board.
5. Step 5Repeat with remaining nori, rice, tobiko, shrimp, cucumber, and avocado. Cut each roll into 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger alongside.

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PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Casey Elsass

Contributing Recipe Developer

Casey Elsass is a cookbook author and recipe developer. His work has appeared on Delish, Food Network, Food52, Epicurious, Munchies, Tastemade, Tasty, and Goodful.