The Great White Roll is a recipe that I created while working at my first sushi restaurant. It’s simple to make and sustainable if the ingredients are purchased responsibly. However, there is a bit of caution that needs to be mentioned about this recipe, as it contains Escolar.
Escolar, also known as “Super White Tuna”, “Butterfish”, or “King Tuna”, is a relative of the snake mackerel family and it cannot properly digest wax esters that are naturally found in its diet. As a result, these esters are collected in its meat and transferred to the consumer. The problem is that humans that consume more than 6 oz. of the fish in a single setting have reported to suffer from “diarrhea-like symptoms” as a result. Obviously not a desirable side effect.
Fortunately, the amount of Escolar in the Great White Roll is well below the 6 oz. recommended max!
For this tutorial, you will need:
- 2 cups of seasoned Sushi Rice
- 6 sheets of half-cut Nori
- 6 oz. of Escolar
- 18 pieces of Ebi
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Avocado
- Spicy Mayo
- Eel Sauce
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Bowl of water
- Makisu
- Plastic wrap (food service film, Saran wrap, etc.)
This recipe will make 6 Great White Rolls
1. Apply a hand full of rice onto the rough side of a piece or nori.
2. Slice your escolar into 1 cm pieces. In my case, the piece I purchased was not wide enough to fill the length of the roll. If that happens to you, you can slice each piece diagonally and slide them apart.
3. Add 2-3 slices of cucumber and avocado. I always place my avocado on the side closest to me, as it makes the rolling process easier. For instructions on how to cut cucumbers and avocados for rolling sushi, check out my tutorial on the Futomaki.
4. Using your thumbs under the makisu and your fingers to hold the ingredients in place, roll everything together.
5. Take 3 pieces of Ebi and remove the tails. Place them on top of your roll, overlapping just slightly.
6. Use your makisu on top of the entire roll and press down lightly. This will ensure that the Ebi stays on the roll. Next, add a small piece of plastic wrap on top.
7. Cut the roll into eight pieces and remove the plastic wrap. Make sure that you remove each piece of plastic wrap if it was cut into separate pieces!
Plating the Great White Roll:
Because this recipe calls for two different sauces, I like to add on the bottom of the roll and the other on the top of the roll. Start by adding a simple design with the Eel Sauce on the plate
Next, add the roll and apply the Spicy Mayo on top. I also sprinkled some sesame seeds to add a bit more texture to the roll.
I hope you enjoy the Great White Roll! Let me know what you think about it in the comments section, below.
