Sushi Canapés are the simplest form of sushi, and a pretty finger food. By simply putting your choice of sushi toppings on rolled rice, you can create a stunning crowd-pleaser. I can guarantee you that everyone will be very impressed with how pretty (and tasty, of course) they are.
The instructions are long with many notes, but it is actually very easy to make. See the video.
Total Time does not include time to cook rice and make sushi rice.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 2 sheets yakinori (roasted seaweed, full size)
- 300g/0.7lb sushi rice (note 1)
- 5 prawns (medium, cooked and peeled)
- 5 slices salmon sashimi (note 2)
- 5 slices seared tuna (note 2)
- 2 scallops for sashimi (note 3)
- 25g/0.9oz thinly sliced cucumber (note 4)
- 2 tbsp takanazuke finely chopped (note 5)
- Ikura (salmon roe)
- Sprout pea shoots (leaves only)
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Cut cling wrap into a square (should be larger than the nori sheet) and place it on a workbench, then place a sheet of yakinori on it in the centre, shiny side down. The longer side of the nori sheet should be horizontally placed.
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Spread half of the sushi rice on the yakinori covering the entire sheet, leaving 4cm/1½" border on the side furthest from you (note 6).
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Hold the edge of the cling wrap closer to you with both hands and lift the edge of the nori sheet with rice, then make a narrow fold along the side line. Firmly press down over the cling wrap (note 7).
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Put the cling wrap back to where it was. Using both hands, start rolling the rice with nori from the folded edge, moving away from you until the end. Make sure that you roll the rice firmly but not too tightly.
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Move the rice roll back close to you and wrap the rice roll with the cling wrap. Twist both ends of the cling wrap to secure the end of the rice roll and leave it for 5-10 minutes (note 8).
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Repeat for the second rice roll.
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Find the end of the cling wrap and fold it or mark it so that you will know where to start unwrapping the roll.
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Cut the twisted part of the cling wrap on both ends of the roll (note 9), then remove the cling wrap.
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Place the rice roll horizontally on a cutting board. Fold a couple pieces of wet kitchen paper (note 10).
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Pat both ends of the rice roll with the side of a knife to flatten the ends and make them tidy.
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Starting from one end of the roll, slice the roll into 1.5cm/⅝" thick discs. Every time before you slice the rice roll, wipe your knife with the wet kitchen paper and remove the rice glued on it.
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You should get 14 discs if the thickness of your slices is exact, because the standard length of the nori sheet is 21cm/8¼" (note 11).
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Place the rice pieces on a serving plate, evenly spaced out.
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Cut the prawns in half in the middle. Place a set of two prawn pieces on each canapé base, with the tail on top.
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Halve each scallop horizontally so that you get 4 thin round scallop pieces. Place a piece on each canapé base.
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Place a piece of tuna on each canapé base and do the same for the salmon piece (note 12).
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Take several cucumber slices per canapé base, randomly spread them to fit to the diameter of the canapé base, then put them on.
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Taking ½ tablespoon of takanazuke per canapé base and squeeze it to get the liquid out. Make a ball shape and put it on the base. Press down to cover the surface of the canapé base.
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Put several salmon roe on top of salmon and cucumber pieces.
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Put leaves of pea shoots on scallops.
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Serve with soy sauce and wasabi in a small plate to dip in.
1. Please refer to Temakizushi (Hand Rolled Sushi) for how to make sushi rice.
2. I bought a sashimi pack from Harris Farm Markets. They didn’t have tuna sashimi but had seared tuna instead.
3. I used sashimi quality frozen scallops by thawing them in a particular way to keep good flavours. You can find this thawing method in my post Scallop Terrine. My scallops were 3-3.5cm/1⅛-1⅜" in diameter and 2.5cm/1" thick.
4. I used a mandolin slicer to make 1.3mm thick slices. It doesn’t have to be the same thickness as my cucumber slices, as they will be piled up as a topping.
You just need an adequate amount of cucumbers per canapé. I think 5g per canapé is adequate, but you can put a bit more if you like.
5. Takanazuke is the pickled Japanese mustard greens that I introduced to you in the post Fried Rice with Pickled Mustard Greens (Takana Chāhan).
6. The rice will not cover the nori sheet completely. You will see black nori showing here and there, and that is quite alright.
7. I fold it over the cling wrap so that rice grains do not stick to your fingers.
8. Leaving the roll in the cling wrap allows the rice and nori to blend.
9. Trust me, it will be extremely difficult to remove the cling wrap without cutting both ends off.
10. Use wet kitchen papers to wipe your knife every time you cut the rice roll.
11. It doesn’t matter if you only get 13 or 12 discs. You might get 15 or 16 if your slice is a bit thinner, and that’s OK too.
12. Sashimi slices are usually in a rectangular shape. Fold them so that the sashimi piece nicely sits on the canapé base.
13. You can make the rice rolls ahead of time, although the rice becomes slightly hard. Complete the instructions for Making Rice Rolls and keep the rolls in the fridge.