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Have you ever had a sushi board? If you haven’t and you like sushi, take this as your sign that it’s time to try one! I have been hosting a lot lately, and this is one of my favorite ways to feed everyone. This Nigiri-Style Sushi Board is such a unique and fun way to serve dinner – and with spicy crab, salmon and bluefin tuna you have a great variety for people to choose from!
Why You’ll Love a Nigiri-Style Sushi Board
If you like sushi, you are going to love this. Each bite is different, so you have a great variety, and they are all delicious. I threw a cooked one in there. You can switch it up however you want to and just use the sushi board idea. The rice is great made a day ahead which, is awesome for when you have people coming over.
Table of Contents
Prep Like a Pro
Sushi Rice – You can make this a day ahead and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. This will free up time on the day of!
Chill Your Sushi-Grade Fish – To get those gorgeous clean slices, chill your fish in the freezer for a few minutes before slicing. Also make sure you are using a sharp knife. You will get those clean cuts if you do this.
Press your Rice – Pressing your rice in well and adding weight matters a lot, so don’t skip this step. If you don’t, your sushi rice may fall apart as you are picking up the bites and eating them. Use two sheet pans that are the same size so the top one tucks in nicely.
Make your Sauces Ahead – You can make these the day before if you would like. Wait until the day of to prepare the seafood and to assemble the sushi board.
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
- For the best sticky rice, use a rice cooker and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.
- Always use sushi rice! It is stickier, so your bites will hold together. Varieties like Calrose, japonica, Japanese sushi rice, or California sushi rice work great.
- Pack the rice pretty tightly before putting it in the fridge to prevent it from falling apart.
- ALWAYS get sushi-grade fish – If you can’t find it near you, you can always find it at places like Catalina Offshore Products, Yama Seafood or Riviera Seafood Club.
- For clean slices, chill your salmon and tuna in the freezer for a few minutes before slicing.
Substitutions
- Japanese Mayo → Feel free to use regular mayonnaise as opposed to Kewpie mayo. If you’re dairy-free you can use Vegenaise instead. You can also to make your own Japanese mayo by adding a splash of rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar to regular mayo.
- Sushi-Grade Fish → You can use whatever your fish of choice is instead of the salmon and bluefin tuna. Just make sure it is sushi-grade.
- Serrano and Fresno Peppers → You can top your sushi board bites with jalapeños if you would prefer. If you don’t want the spice, you can either remove all the seeds or omit the peppers completely.
The Perfect Pairings
Start your night off with a fresh Cucumbertini. Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice, Sesame Handheld Salad, or miso soup would work well on the side. Finish the night with warm caramelized Amaretto Peaches.
Nigiri-Style Sushi Board: Questions Answered
I use Calrose Rice by Botan. You can also use Calrose, japonica, Japanese sushi rice, or California sushi rice.
Locally, I get it at AJ’s. If you can’t find it near you, you can always find it at places like Catalina Offshore Products, Yama Seafood or Riviera Seafood Club.
Parts of it you can. The rice and sauces can be made the day before. Wait to slice the salmon and tuna right before. If you don’t, it will start to discolor and lose the silky texture after about 30 minutes out of the fridge and after a few hours in the fridge. Assemble it right before serving.
Nigiri is sushi with a small ball of rice, typically with a wasabi sauce, underneath raw seafood.
Nigiri-Style Sushi Board
Equipment
- rice cooker, (preferred) or Pot
- plastic wrap
- saucepan
- spoon
- large bowl
- 4 ramekins
- pot
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 1 kombu strip, optional
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
Eel Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce, or tamari
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
Spicy Mayo
- ⅓ cup Japanese mayo
- 3 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chives
Scallion Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ large lemon, juice
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 2 scallions, sliced
Seafood
- 6-7 jumbo shrimp
- sushi-grade salmon
- sushi-grade bluefin tuna
Toppings
- 1 fresno pepper, sliced
- 1 tbsp chives
- 1 Serrano, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- sesame seeds, ½ black and ½ toasted
- toasted nori pieces
Instructions
Sushi Rice
- Rinse your rice until clear. Cook the rice in a rice cooker according to instructions, but add a kombu strip and pinch of salt. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and rice vinegar well and then stir that into the cooked rice.
- Line a sheet pan with plastic wrap. Spoon the rice into it and spread it evenly. Cover the top in plastic wrap and press down with your hands to pack it in. Place another sheet pan on top to weigh it down and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Eel Sauce
- Add your soy sauce, sugar and rice vinegar to a saucepan and simmer until it coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes after it starts simmering. Cool immediately in the fridge or an ice bath. You can also make this ahead of time, and let it cool.
Spicy Mayo
- In a large bowl, mix together the Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar. Set aside a couple tablespoons in a ramekin to serve on the board. The rest will be used for the shrimp.
Scallion Soy Sauce
- In a ramekin, mix together soy sauce, lemon juice, rice vinegar, agave syrup, and scallions.
Prepare Seafood
- Spicy Shrimp: (Makes 6) Bring a pot of water to a roaring boil. Carefully add your shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are bright pink. Remove the shrimp and place them on a cutting board. Mince them up very small and add into the bowl of spicy mayo. Mix well and adjust for taste.
- Salmon Nigiri: (Makes 9) Slice your sushi-grade salmon into 9 thin pieces that will fit nicely on each rice bite (see video).
- Bluefin Tuna Nigiri: (Makes 9) Slice your sushi-grade bluefin tuna into 9 thin pieces that will fit nicely on each rice bite (see video).
Sushi Board
- Remove the top sheet pan and plastic wrap from the rice. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the rice, then set a cutting board over it. Flip the pan so that the rice is now on top of the cutting board. Peel the other plastic wrap layer off the rice to remove the sheet pan.
- Carefully lift the parchment paper and rice, and move it to the platter you will be serving it on. Top one section of the rice with spicy shrimp, and for the other two sections, arrange the salmon and bluefin tuna slices evenly in neat rows. The spicy shrimp will make about 6 bites, while the salmon and bluefin make about 9. See the video if you need it.
- With a knife, cut the whole thing into bite-size pieces.
- Top each bite of the spicy shrimp with Fresno peppers. The salmon with chives, avocado, and serrano. For the bluefin tuna, drizzle some eel sauce on top.
- Serve immediately with ramekins of spicy mayo, eel sauce, scallion soy sauce, sesame seeds, and nori slices. Enjoy!
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
