I’ve been seeing recipes for variations on this for a while, but when I saw it crop up in Chrissy’s new cookbook (in my mind, we’re on a first name basis), I knew it was the right time to try it out. I love sushi, I love crispy things, I’m afraid of making raw things at home…but, I love a good challenge and I had a cooking buddy over the weekend (my best friend of 30 odd years).
Ingredients:
Rice: [Note: when I make this again, I’ll use the microwave asian sticky rice and mix in the sauce]
¼ c. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 TB sugar
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 c. sushi rice
1 ¼ c. water
Salmon:
⅔ c. Kewpie or regular mayo
1 TB sriracha
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp blond miso paste
1 tsp ponzu sauce (or lime juice)
8 oz very fresh (sushi grade) skinless salmon, finely minced (I got mine at the Japanese grocery)
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 TB masago/salmon roe [I didn’t use]
2 tsp scallions, very finely minced - plus more for garnish
¼ c. vegetable oil, plus more for oiling various things
Make the Rice First. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and microwave until the sugar dissolves - 30 to 45 seconds.
Place rice in a colander and run under cold water until starch is rinsed away and water is clear - 2-3 minutes. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 20 minutes.
Drain rice well, place in a small saucepan, cover with the 1 ¼ cups water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to a very low simmer, and cook until all water is absorbed, 13-15 minutes. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl to cool for a few minutes, then stir in the vinegar mix 1 TB at a time. Gently press plastic wrap onto the surface of the rice and let the rice hang out while you make the salmon.
Make the Salmon. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, Sriracha, 1 tsp of the chili oil, the sugar, miso, and ponzu. In a larger bowl, gently combine the salmon with 2TB of the mayo mix, sesame oil, masago, ½ tsp chili oil, and the 2 tsp scallion greens. Season to taste with salt and refrigerate while you crisp the rice.
Crisping the Rice. Using lightly oiled hands, measure 2 ½ TB rice and form it into a 2x1 inch rectangle, ½ inch thick, and place on a lightly oiled plate. Repeat with remaining rice (about 15 rice blocks). Heat the ¼ c. oil in a 9 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the rice blocks to the skillet and cook, sliding the blocks around occasionally to brown evenly on the bottom. When bottoms are crisp and golden (DO NOT FLIP THEM), 4 to 6 minutes, drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest.
Spoon about 1 TB of spicy salmon on the untoasted side of each rice block, molding it to fit. Garnish with more scallion greens.
This was great, but I think next time I’ll streamline it a bit - using microwave rice would cut almost 45 min of prep! I’d also experiment with toppings - maybe super thin jalapeno slices or avocado.
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