There are a few ingredients which are difficult to use in sushi making. Well, they were difficult to use until the gunkanmaki was developed. Ikura gunkan is one of the most popular sushi in this style. This type of sushi is a mix between a nigiri and a maki, in that it has a neta (topping) on rice, but the entire thing is surrounded by a strip of seaweed.
A gunkan sushi is perfect for containing ingredient(s) that tend to fall off a regular mound of rice. Things like fish eggs, uni, or anything minced or chopped are perfect when used in a gunkanmaki. Not to mention the fact that this sushi is just really pretty when made well.
What Is A Gunkanmaki
A gunkanmaki is a type of sushi where a strip of seaweed is wrapped around a mound of rice, leaving plenty of open space above. This allows one to spoon in some type of filling which would normally spill all over the place.
The name gunkanmaki actually comes from the word gunkan, which is the Japanese word for warship. This is because the sushi looks like a Japanese warship from the early 20th century.
How To Make An Ikura Gunkan
To make ikura gunkanmaki simply take a small mound of rice with your hand – about 50% more than you would use for a nigiri. Place it on a surface and shape it into a sort of flattened oval. Then take a strip of seaweed about 1/8th the width of a standard nori sheet and wrap it around the rice. The seaweed will stick out over the rice which will be a ‘wall’ to contain the filling.
Use a dab of water to seal the seaweed strip and spoon in the filling of choice. In this case we are using ikura, or salmon eggs. I especially recommend chum salmon (shirozake, or just sake) eggs as they are some of the best you can use.
You can garnish with a variety of things, but I chose a simple piece of chive as it looks quite elegant.
Sushi Terms Used In This Article
ikura: Salmon eggs
gunkan: a gunkanmaki is a type of sushi where a strip of seaweed is wrapped around a mound of rice, leaving plenty of open space above. This allows one to spoon in some type of filling which would normally spill all over the place.
nigiri: a type of sushi where an oval-esque ball of rice is topped with something, often raw or cooked seafood
Edomae: a type of sushi that originated in Edo (Tokyo) in the 19th century
uni: sea urchin
nori: dry seaweed used in sushi making
shirozake: also called sake, this word refers to the chum salmon who’s eggs are highly prized in sushi making