If you’re making a roll from scratch, it’s simply faster, easier, and more practical to fry the entire thing before cutting it. But yes, if you wanted to do this with individual pieces, I’m sure that would probably work.
Honestly, I’ve seen that more often in higher end sushi (i.e. sit-down restaurant) than in the cheap kind (i.e. grocery store takeout). Or perhaps it’s a bell curve, where the center consists of “this is expensive enough already, let’s not waste food by throwing parts of it away”.
I think ultimately, it really comes down to presentation. Cutting the roll after frying it exposes the center, which makes it look colorful and appetizing. If you battered and fried the pieces individually, they’d simply be brown on all sides and look like oversized pickle chips. It basically makes every piece into a (double) end piece.
Usually that’s done by battering and frying the entire roll before cutting it.
Doing it with individual pieces is possible, of course, but it massively increases the chance of overcooking the center, which usually is not desired.
Freeze, batter, then fry?
Sure, but that still adds unnecessary prep time.
If you’re making a roll from scratch, it’s simply faster, easier, and more practical to fry the entire thing before cutting it. But yes, if you wanted to do this with individual pieces, I’m sure that would probably work.
Idk I wouldn’t consider par-frying and freezing french fries a waste of time.
Michelin quality sushi nuggets take time.
I feel like frying the entire roll leads to more uneven cooking. Overcooked ends, undercooked middle
You can cut off the ends, and the middle SHOULD be undercooked (raw, in fact), that’s kinda the whole point of sushi.
Also, serving the ends is kinda not-done in high class sushi.
Honestly, I’ve seen that more often in higher end sushi (i.e. sit-down restaurant) than in the cheap kind (i.e. grocery store takeout). Or perhaps it’s a bell curve, where the center consists of “this is expensive enough already, let’s not waste food by throwing parts of it away”.
I think ultimately, it really comes down to presentation. Cutting the roll after frying it exposes the center, which makes it look colorful and appetizing. If you battered and fried the pieces individually, they’d simply be brown on all sides and look like oversized pickle chips. It basically makes every piece into a (double) end piece.