Salmon Roe Gunkan Maki: A Home Assembly Guide

Shape eight gunkan maki with seasoned sushi rice, nori collars and 10g of Wild Salmon XXL Roe in each. The recipe uses 80g from the 200g roe pack and serves four people at two pieces each.

• Yield: 8 gunkan
• Serving plan: 2 per person
• Salmon roe: 10g per piece

Ingredients and purchase quantities

This is salmon roe, not sturgeon caviar. The recipe leaves 120g in the opened roe pack; plan its use from the exact delivered label before opening.

Equipment

• Rice cooker or saucepan with a tight lid
• Digital scale and measuring jug
• Wide non-metallic bowl and rice paddle
• Sharp scissors, small bowl of clean water and tray
• Clean roe spoon

Assemble the gunkan

1. Wash and cook the rice. Rinse under the rice pack's method, then cook 120g with its specified water quantity. Keep it covered for the stated rest.
2. Season evenly. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar. Fold it through the hot rice with a cutting motion rather than crushing the grains.
3. Cool for prompt service. Spread the rice in the wide bowl and fan while turning gently. Apply current cooked-rice safety guidance and do not leave it standing for an extended assembly session.
4. Divide the cooked rice. Weigh the seasoned rice and form eight equal oval portions that hold together without hard compression.
5. Add nori collars. Wrap one strip around each oval, overlapping the ends and leaving a rim above the rice.
6. Fill the tops. Spoon 10g Wild Salmon XXL Roe into every collar and serve the eight pieces immediately.

Size the nori from the rice oval

Nori sheet dimensions vary. Shape the rice portions first, then cut strips wide enough to make a stable collar with a small overlap. If two sheets do not provide eight suitable collars, use an extra sheet rather than making the rims too narrow.

Gunkan troubleshooting

• The rice does not hold: check the rice variety, cooking water and cooling stage before pressing harder.
• The nori opens: overlap the ends and use one rice grain as an edible seal.
• The collar softens early: wrap and fill close to service rather than storing assembled pieces.
• The roe spills: reduce the rice oval width or increase the strip height so a clear rim remains.

Allergens and rice handling

Fish is present. Nori and vinegar labels may identify sesame, soya, sulphites or other cross-contact. Cooked rice requires careful time and temperature control; follow current Food Standards Agency guidance and serve the assembled gunkan promptly. Keep roe chilled under its exact pack instructions and do not infer an opened-life for the remaining 120g.

Cooked-rice handling

Prepare rice for immediate assembly and serve the gunkan promptly. If keeping cooked rice for later, current official guidance says to cool it quickly, ideally within one hour, refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat rice only once if reheating, until steaming hot throughout. Adding vinegar does not replace time and temperature control.

Keep the roe in the fridge until the rice is ready for topping; do not leave it beside hot rice while preparing the nori. Assemble small rounds rather than keeping finished sushi at room temperature.

Eight-piece pack calculation

Eight × 10g roe uses 80g from the 200g pack, leaving 120g. The pack was £72 and available at the 12 October 2026 check. Its nominal unit price is £0.36 per gram, so the 80g allocation represents £28.80 of roe; the whole pack purchase is still £72 before rice, other ingredients and checkout charges. Plan the remainder under the actual label.