Can you cook sushi (specifically, maki)?

[Fat Guy]

I was wondering . . .

The other day we had a picnic and we brought a bunch of takeout sushi, specifically tuna rolls and salmon rolls (maki). It was pretty hot out, nobody was terribly hungry, and afterward there must have been 30 pieces of sushi left.

Given the amount of time they spent unrefrigerated, I don't think I'd eat the leftover pieces. But I was wondering, what if I cooked them? Like, if I just put a little oil in a skillet and cooked the pieces until the fish got cooked through and the exterior rice and nori got browned.

Has anybody tried that? How does it come out? It seems to me that, in theory, you've got some rice, some fish and some seaweed -- all things that taste nice when cooked. So? A possibility, or the worst idea ever?

[gfweb]

The sushi joint I go to, Okura, to makes a couple deep fried rolls by dipping the unsliced roll in tempura batter and flash frying it. Served with spicy mayo.

They also make an Elvis Roll- banana + peanut butter wrapped in soy wrapper then battered and deep fried and served with choc syrup and ice cream. Kids love it.

They are not bound by tradition.

[kitchenhacker]

I'm thinking soup.

[NancyH]

Steve - when in doubt, throw it out. 2 hours is the absolute max for something like that to be at "warm" room temps - less for food that wasn't cooked to start with. Cooking it doesn't undo the time/tempurature abuse thing.

[Hiroyuki]

I've never done that, but if I had to do that, I'd probably disassemble the maki, separating the neta from the rice and nori, cook the neta thoroughly, and sear both sides of the sheet of rice and nori.

[kayb]

When I've visited Japan, I was surprised to learn that (a) the traditional Japanese sushi very rarely includes rolls, and (b) when it does, they're generally baked or fried. So I'd say you could. I'd still be nervous, though; one only has to experience food poisoning once to go WAY out of one's way to avoid it again.

[Tess]

Steve - when in doubt, throw it out. 2 hours is the absolute max for something like that to be at "warm" room temps - less for food that wasn't cooked to start with. Cooking it doesn't undo the time/tempurature abuse thing.

←

Ditto.

Fried sushi rolls sound kind of interesting to me, but don't eat these ones. Not worth it.

[prasantrin]

When I've visited Japan, I was surprised to learn that (a) the traditional Japanese sushi very rarely includes rolls, and (b) when it does, they're generally baked or fried. So I'd say you could. I'd still be nervous, though; one only has to experience food poisoning once to go WAY out of one's way to avoid it again.

←

After 10 years of living in Japan, I've never seen a baked or fried maki zushi. Ever. That doesn't mean they don't exist, but I wonder where you've had them. My rule is "Anything fried is good!"

[Fat Guy]

Cooking it doesn't undo the time/tempurature abuse thing.

←

I'm not actually going to do this, because the sushi has already been tossed out, but I was under the impression that cooking to a sufficient temperature does kill the bugs we worry about in these sorts of situations. Putting a light sear on the exterior wouldn't do it, but boiling in a soup should. I don't know about cooking it through in a skillet -- that would probably need to be measured.

[Andrew Fenton]

Cooking will kill bacteria, yeah. But some bacteria (e.g., staphylococcus aureus) produce toxins that aren't destroyed by cooking. So if the bacteria have had time to produce those toxins, you could still get very sick, even if the sushi has been boiled.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[willows]

Fried onigiri work! But I don't have a lot of experience with cooking nori while it's in contact with something wet.

I think the flavorings in sushi rice would contribute to the browning, too. That might be nice. I also know of a few places that do the aforementioned tempura maki. Yaki-maki seem like a worthy experiment, at least.

[paulraphael]

Cooking will kill bacteria, yeah.  But some bacteria (e.g., staphylococcus aureus) produce toxins that aren't destroyed by cooking.  So if the bacteria have had time to produce those toxins, you could still get very sick, even if the sushi has been boiled.

←

Yup. The one time I was sure I had food poisoning, the symptoms matched staph intoxication. Knocked me off my feet for two days.

Another issue is that the temperature required to reliably kill bacteria would mean overcooking many types of fish. I'm not so interested in tuna or salmon that's cooked through to 160+ degrees.

And yet another set of issues is non-microbial spoilage. These include oxidation of fats (rancidity), and enzyme breakdown, with byproducts like trimethylamine and ammonia (all of which makes fish stink). Cooking tends to make the off-flavors and odors of these processes worse, not better.

All these issues are much more pressing with cold water fish than warm water fish.

edited to add: the biggest health hazard with old sushi is probably the rice. The fish will likely spoil quickly and get too nasty to eat before any serious pathogens have a chance to take over. But that starchy rice is basically a petry dish, and it spends its entire cooked existence at danger zone temperatures.

Edited May 3, 2009 by paulraphael (log)

[Fat Guy]

Okay, so, the food-safety issue aside, say you've got leftover maki that has been held at safe, cool temperatures. Me, I find overnight-refrigerated maki to be unappetizing. What are the alternatives to throwing it out?

[djyee100]

It seems to me that if there's one food that should be eaten super-fresh for safety and aesthetic reasons, that food is sushi. But I suppose some people are reluctant to throw out expensive leftovers. Assuming the sushi is safe to eat, here are some options:

1) Vacuum pack it, store it at the back of the freezer, then throw it out later, when it looks really unappetizing. Alternatively, defrost it and serve it to people you don't like.

2) Will you eat anything with chocolate on it? Enrobe the pieces in ganache.

3) Mash it up well, place mixture in a casserole dish, and pour Campbell's Cheese Soup over it. Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 45 mins, until it is warmed through and bubbling. You could eat it. Or, you could let it cool to room temp and let your kid play with it.

4) Pack it in a sturdy box with some dry ice, and mail to Santa Claus, North Pole. Do not put a return address on the package.

5) Preserve the pieces in plastic, and adorn your apt with it. Be sure to tell guests it is Art.

6) Bronze the leftover pieces, and proceed as in (5).

Hope this helps.

[baroness]

It seems to me that if there's one food that should be eaten super-fresh for safety and aesthetic reasons, that food is sushi. But I suppose some people are reluctant to throw out expensive leftovers. Assuming the sushi is safe to eat, here are some options:

1) Vacuum pack it, store it at the back of the freezer, then throw it out later, when it looks really unappetizing. Alternatively, defrost it and serve it to people you don't like.

2) Will you eat anything with chocolate on it? Enrobe the pieces in ganache.

3) Mash it up well, place mixture in a casserole dish, and pour Campbell's Cheese Soup over it. Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 45 mins, until it is warmed through and bubbling. You could eat it. Or, you could let it cool to room temp and let your kid play with it.

4) Pack it in a sturdy box with some dry ice, and mail to Santa Claus, North Pole. Do not put a return address on the package.

5) Preserve the pieces in plastic, and adorn your apt with it. Be sure to tell guests it is Art.

6) Bronze the leftover pieces, and proceed as in (5).

Hope this helps. 

←

Thanks! I needed that!

[Tess]

Okay, so, the food-safety issue aside, say you've got leftover maki that has been held at safe, cool temperatures. Me, I find overnight-refrigerated maki to be unappetizing. What are the alternatives to throwing it out?

←

Wait until you get the midnight munchies, poke the centers out and eat them. That's what I do.

Love the creative ideas. Don't forget sushi earrings! They're so much better made with real sushi.

[paulraphael]

3) Mash it up well, place mixture in a casserole dish, and pour Campbell's Cheese Soup over it. Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 45 mins, until it is warmed through and bubbling.

Do you have a video camera? I think a cheerful instructional episode on maki casserole would make an amazing pilot for food channel.

[BeeZee]

Sounds like a primo idea for Sandra Lee..."look, you can buy these sushi rolls at your local market and transform them into a wonderful semi-homemade..."

[budrichard]

Cooking will kill bacteria, yeah.  But some bacteria (e.g., staphylococcus aureus) produce toxins that aren't destroyed by cooking.  So if the bacteria have had time to produce those toxins, you could still get very sick, even if the sushi has been boiled.

←

Listen to Andrew!

I'm suprised that a member of this Forum would not understand basic food safety?-Dick

[Fat Guy]

People cook raw fish all the time. Usually, it has been a few days from the time it's caught to the time it's cooked. There's plenty of fish I wouldn't eat raw that I'd eat cooked, and I'm sure that's true of any rational person who eats fish.

The question on the table is: leftover sushi, no food-safety concerns, what to do with it. I understand that nobody wants me to eat the sushi from the picnic. Don't worry about it. It's a red herring. I threw it out days ago. What about the actual question?

[sng sling]

People cook raw fish all the time. Usually, it has been a few days from the time it's caught to the time it's cooked. There's plenty of fish I wouldn't eat raw that I'd eat cooked, and I'm sure that's true of any rational person who eats fish.

The question on the table is: leftover sushi, no food-safety concerns, what to do with it. I understand that nobody wants me to eat the sushi from the picnic. Don't worry about it. It's a red herring. I threw it out days ago. What about the actual question?

←

I never had red herring as a sushi neta -- what's it like??

[DerekW]

The question on the table is: leftover sushi, no food-safety concerns, what to do with it.

Kedgeree.

[Hiroyuki]

A quick Google search in Japanese will give you some answers:

Porridge, tempura, and fried rice.

[genarog]

Because I doubt it's going to be good by itself, I would cook it - not sure which method - and then use it in a salad like you would use tuna.

[paulraphael]

I've often wondered about deep-frying maki -- not to salvage it; just because it sounds good. And I assumed it would be seen as some kind of sacriledge, but apparently not.

I can imagine it coated in a light tempura batter, and fried just long enough to crisp it on the outside and warm it slightly or cook it rare in the middle.

Edited May 4, 2009 by paulraphael (log)