Dragon roll sushi is a California roll with thin slices of avocado and salmon lay on the top and following the curve of the roll. In this sushi guide I'll show you how easy it is to perfect the dragon roll at home.
The dragon roll is one of the more impressive pieces of sushi and not only does it boast rice on the outside but it also has a topping. The topping is usually avocado, which is said to resemble that of a dragon scale. In this guide I used salmon as well as avocado for a bit of extra colour in the topping.
🍣 Making sushi at home
For more detailed information, sushi making tips and a full list of what you will need for making your own sushi at home jump over to my full guide for sushi rolls. Also, have a look at how to make sushi rice and how you can make other types of sushi rolls including maki sushi, California rolls and nigiri sushi.
🥘 Ingredients
Full ingredients and recipe instructions in recipe card below: Jump to Recipe CardTo make 30 pieces of Dragon roll sushi you will need the following:
- 600g of cooked and prepared sushi rice
- 1 pack nori sheets (5 in a pack) (seaweed sheets)
- Black sesame seeds
- ½ cucumber sliced into this julienne sticks for filling
- 5 crab sticks sliced in half length ways for filling
- 1 avocado sliced thinly for filling (toss in lime juice to keep fresh)
- 1 avocado thinly sliced for topping (toss in lime juice to keep fresh)
- 250g sliced smoked salmon or sliced sashimi salmon for topping
Substitutions: The fish and veg filling can be swapped to suit your taste. Try with other vegetables such as bell pepper, celery, raw carrot, raw beetroot, raw red cabbage. Or if you want to add some sashimi (raw, thinly sliced fish). Try with this Sashimi Kit from The Fish Society . (Includes 60g+ Saba Mackerel, 60g+ Gindara Black cod, 60g+ Maguro tuna, 60g+ Chalkstripe salmon belly, 60g+ butterflied king prawns, soy sauce sachets, wasabi sachets, pickled ginger sachets and chop sticks.
🔪 Instructions
- First prepare the rice by following the instructions in this how to make sushi rice recipe
- Next make a California roll following steps 1 to 7 in this California rolls recipe
- Then, before slicing the roll add a topping of avocado, or avocado and salmon, or anything else you want to try. Slightly overlap each topping as you go.
- Place cling film over to shape and stick the topping to the sushi roll.
- Slice the dragon roll into 6, you can leave the cling film on or take it off to do this, – which ever you prefer. Slice firmly through the sushi, moving the blade back and forth so to cut and not to squash. Wet the blade between each slice to prevent the blade from sticking to the rice and seaweed.
- Present the dragon rolls with the the topping facing up
💭 Recipe tips
Rice: To create the right kind of flavour mix your sushi rice with rice wine vinegar and mirin rice wine, sugar and salt.
Bamboo mat: Get yourself a Bamboo Rolling Mat. The sushi making process is made so much easier if you have a mat to help you roll and tighten your sushi rolls. However, you don’t have to use a bamboo mat. If you can’t get hold of one you can use baking paper to roll your sushi.
Water: Have a bowl of water on hand to keep your hands wet when handling the sushi rice. Sushi rice is extremely sticky and if your hands are dry you’ll find it sticks to you rather than the seaweed. Things can get very messy very quickly.
Sushi grade fish: If using raw fish I'd suggesting using fish that has been frozen to below the right temperature for the correct amount of time, which will be a lot safer to consume raw. See my full guide on sushi rolls for further details on freezing fish and sushi grade fish.
Sashimi kit: If using raw fish I'd suggest buying a sashimi kit that comes with a selection of sushi grade, frozen, raw fish ready for slicing into thin pieces (sashimi). I highly recommend the sashimi kit from the Fish Society, which is what I used for making all of my sushi recipes. And there was some fish left over from this, so it goes a long way. This kit comes with 4 different types of frozen, raw fish, plus cooked, butterflied king prawns. The Fish society guarantees a total weight of 300g of sushi grade fish. The kit also includes sachets of soy sauce, sachets of wasabi, sachets of pickled ginger and 2 sets of wooden chop sticks.
Vegetables: If using veg instead of, or as well as fish, go for bright colours that will look pretty against the white rice. Also choose veg that will last and not go limp. Obvious choices include cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, raw beetroot, radish and red cabbage. I also love to use avocado, which I toss in lime juice immediately after slicing to stop it oxidising and going brown.
Don't use too much rice: Try not to place too much rice on the seaweed sheet. Spread as thinly as possible over your nori sheet and leave a 2cm gap at the top to allow room for sealing.
Knife: Use a long blade, sharp, non serrated knife for slicing your sushi. Before slicing dip the knife blade in water and allow the water to run down the length of the blade. This stops the blade from sticking.
Slicing: When slicing sushi with rice on the outer edge (California rolls) place cling film over your finished rolls first. This will help to keep the roll together and help to keep its shape whilst you slice.
Wrap and chill: Once your sushi are made, plate up cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. This will firstly keep the sushi nice and fresh but will also set the rice and make your sushi easier to handle and eat.
Condiments: Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi for that extra punch of flavour and touch of authenticity.
Time!: Give yourself plenty of time! Don’t under estimate the mess this can make and the time it can take just to prepare your veg and fish alone.
Let me know what you thought of this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below. you can also pin the recipe on pinterest. Or if you prefer you can pin the video.
📖 Recipe
📋 Dragon Roll Sushi
Equipment
- 1 Bamboo Rolling Mat (Makisu) or use baking paper
- 1 Cutting board for slicing veg and 1 cutting board for slicing raw fish
- 1 Sharp non serrated knife
- 1 Small pan to cook the rice
- Mixing bowl and spoon
- Bowl of water (to keep your hands wet when handling rice)
- A cloth to clean and tidy and wipe as you go
- A platter for serving
- Chop sticks for eating (optional- sushi is traditionally eaten with the fingers)
Ingredients
- 600 g of cooked and prepared sushi rice
- 1 pack nori sheets 5 in a pack (seaweed sheets)
- Black sesame seeds
- ½ cucumber sliced into this julienne sticks for filling
- 5 crab sticks sliced in half length ways for filling
- 1 avocado sliced thinly for filling toss in lime juice to keep fresh
- 1 avocado thinly sliced for topping toss in lime juice to keep fresh
- 250 g sliced smoked salmon or sliced sashimi salmon for topping
Instructions
- First prepare the rice by following the instructions in this how to make sushi rice recipe
- Next make a California roll following steps 1 to 7 in this California rolls recipe. Substitute in your preferred fillings.
- Then, before slicing the roll add a topping of avocado, or avocado and salmon, or anything else you want to try. Slightly overlap each topping as you go.
- Place cling film over to shape and stick the topping to the sushi roll.
- Slice the dragon roll into 6, you can leave the cling film on or take it off to do this, – which ever you prefer. Slice firmly through the sushi, moving the blade back and forth so to cut and not to squash. Wet the blade between each slice to prevent the blade from sticking to the rice and seaweed.
- Present the dragon rolls with the the topping facing up
Video
Nutrition
Notes
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