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How to Make Surimi at Home

A weekend project with a genuinely delicious payoff: homemade fish cake with no preservatives and exactly the seasoning you want.

Homemade surimi won't have the machine-made fiber strands of commercial crab sticks (that requires industrial extrusion — see how surimi is made), but it produces something arguably better: bouncy, clean-tasting fish cake in the kamaboko family that you can flavor however you like.

Equipment

• Food processor — the one essential; the paste must be beaten until glossy and sticky. A mid-size 8–10 cup model is ideal.
• Steamer — a bamboo basket or any pot with a steaming insert.
• Fine-mesh sieve and cheesecloth for washing and pressing the mince.
• Instant-read thermometer (recommended: cook to 165 °F / 74 °C).

Ingredients

• 1 lb very fresh skinless white fish: pollock, cod, tilapia, or sole (fresher fish = stronger gel; see best fish for surimi)
• 1½ tsp fine salt (about 2% of fish weight — salt is what activates the gel)
• 1 tbsp sugar · 1 tbsp potato or tapioca starch
• 1 egg white · 1 tbsp ice water · optional: ½ tsp dashi powder or a splash of mirin

Method

1. Wash the fish. Cut into chunks, then rinse in a bowl of ice water, agitating gently; drain through cheesecloth and press dry. Repeat 2–3 times. The water should run nearly clear and the fish should smell like almost nothing.
2. Make the paste. Process the cold fish with salt for 1–2 minutes until sticky and glossy. Add sugar, starch, egg white, ice water, and seasonings; process another minute to a smooth, thick paste. Keep everything cold — warmth ruins the gel.
3. Shape. Form logs on plastic wrap and roll tightly like sausages, or spread into a small loaf pan. For crab-style color, tint a spoonful of paste with a little paprika and smear it on the surface before wrapping.
4. Steam. 20–25 minutes for 1-inch logs, to 165 °F inside. Shock in ice water for the bounciest texture.
5. Use it. Slice for miso soup, sear slices in butter, or shred (it tears into rustic pieces) for kani salad. Keeps 3–4 days refrigerated; freezes for a month.

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