If you're new to making sushi, please see the Sushi Beginner's Guide before getting started! This includes guides to all the basics, FAQ, and how to source ingredients. This site focuses on Americanized/Westernized sushi, check out the Types of Sushi page to learn more!
The Yellow Submarine Roll is a Crafty Cookbook original sushi roll. It has spicy yellowtail (hamachi)and cucumber on the inside, topped with spicy mayo, black tobiko, and green onion. The mixture of black tobiko and spicy mayo creates a topping that is both flavorful and very visually interesting. If you don't have any yellowtail on hand, consider substituting salmon or tuna instead! You can substitute normal tobiko in this recipe, but it may not look quite as cool as the black tobiko topping.
How spicy is spicy yellowtail?? Traditionally spicy salmon, tuna, and yellowtail are not very spicy, they're definitely considered "mild". Most people should be able to tolerate the spice level in spicy tuna/salmon even if they can't tolerate very spicy foods. If you're concerned about it being too spicy, you can always reduce the amount of sriracha sauce you use in the mix. On the other hand, if you want to amp up the spiciness level, use extra sriracha!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Don't forget to check out the guides on Buying Fish For Sushi and Buying Other Ingredients for Sushi if you're not sure where to find what you need! I include online product links for reference, but it's typically much cheaper to purchase these items locally, so check out your local options!
Spicy Yellowtail (Hamachi)
- Yellowtail, called Hamachi in Japanese, is a common sushi fish typically regarded as being very high quality.
- To make spicy yellowtail, follow the recipe for spicy tuna, but sub in the yellowtail instead. Get my recipe for spicy tuna here!
- This recipe for spicy tuna/yellowtail calls for sushi quality fish, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, green onions, and white sugar.
- Make sure you're using fish that is safe to eat raw (more info)
- You can substitute spicy tuna or spicy salmon in this recipe if desired!
Cucumber Strips
- Check out my guide to slicing cucumber for sushi if you haven't done this before. This method removes the center portion, leaving only the crunchy outside.
- The variety of cucumber used doesn't make too big of a difference, but I typically use "Hot House" cucumbers.
- The cucumber adds a nice crunch to the roll, so I don't recommend substituting or omitting it in recipes that don't contain other crunchy ingredients.
Spicy Mayo
- Spicy mayo is typically made with Japanese mayo and sriracha sauce.
- Make a homemade mix or pick up a bottle at an Asian grocery store or online.
- For the simplest homemade spicy mayo, combine 1 tablespoon Japanese mayo with 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce.
Black Tobiko
- Tobiko is the name for flying fish roe, which are very small fish roe (eggs) that are naturally red/orange in color. They are about half the size of a sesame seed.
- You can find tobiko at a Japanese grocery store or online from a specialty fish market (more info here).
- Tobiko is naturally a red/orange color, however other varieties exist that are flavored and tinted different colors. The most common varieties are green (wasabi), yellow (yuzu/citrus), and black (squid ink). Any of these would be fine to substitute in this recipe!
- Masago is a similar fish roe that comes from the capelin fish, it is slightly smaller than tobiko but serves a very similar purpose. Masago is typically cheaper than tobiko and generally slightly lower quality. If given a choice I prefer tobiko, however masago can be a great substitute.
Green Onion
- Thinly slice the green portion of the green onion for this recipe.
- Green onions go by many other names including: scallions, spring onions, salad onions, and green shallots.
- Cut at an angle to create the style pictured.
Sushi rice
- Sushi rice is prepared, medium grain rice that is seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. The seasoning added to the rice is what give it the distinctive taste and sticky texture.
- If possible, I strongly recommend picking up the proper kind of rice rather than using whatever rice you have on hand. Other varieties of rice (jasmine, basmati, etc.) will not turn out the same.
- Follow my recipe for Simple Sushi Rice before you begin making your sushi. You can find more information there on locating the proper ingredients.
Nori
- Nori is the seaweed wrapping used to hold together sushi rolls. After opening, store leftover nori sheets in an airtight bag at room temp with all the air pressed out to maintain freshness.
- Packages of nori vary a lot in quantity and price. I've tried out a variety of brands at different price points and have been happy with all of them. I don't think you need to splurge on the more expensive brands.
- A Japanese grocery store will have the widest selection of nori. You may be able to find nori in the "Asian foods" section of a large American grocery store, but you can also find nori online if needed.
- Nori comes in a variety of sizes, so make sure you pick up full sheets (approximately 8"x7"). These sheets can be cut down smaller when making rolls (if desired). You can read more about this in the How to Make Sushi Rolls post.
Yellow Submarine Roll
Ingredients
- 1 full size sheet of nori cut smaller if desired
- ~¾ cup prepared, seasoned sushi rice
Inside Roll
- ½ batch spicy yellowtail prepare per spicy tuna recipe
- 2 cucumber strips
Outside Roll
- 2 tablespoon black tobiko or sub normal tobiko
- 2 tablespoon spicy mayo
- 2 tablespoon green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Mix together the spicy mayo and black tobiko until fully combined. Set aside.
- Cover the sheet of nori in a thin even layer of rice, filling all the way out to the edges. Optionally, top the rice with some black sesame seeds. (click for guide)
- Flip the sheet of nori over so the rice is face down on a bamboo rolling mat that is wrapped in plastic. (click for guide)
- Arrange the fillings (spicy yellowtail and cucumber) in even lines, 1 inch from the edge along the longer side of the nori sheet. (click for guide)
- Carefully and tightly roll up the roll. (click for guide)
- Place the plastic-wrapped rolling mat over the top of the roll and press the roll into a consistent shape. (click for guide)
- Place the roll on a cutting board and grab your sharpest knife. Run the knife under water for a second, then shake off any excess. Cut the roll into 8 equal pieces using a gentile sawing motion with the knife, running the knife under the water between every 2-3 cuts to prevent sticking. (click for guide)
- Plate the roll on your serving dish. Top each piece with the spicy mayo tobiko mixture and then with the green onion. (click for guide)
Notes
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Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!
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