SPICY SALMON CRISPY RICE
I recently tried this dish at a restaurant in Houston and thought I would try recreating it at home! It turned out pretty good and thought I'd share. I bought a filet of sushi grade salmon from my local H-mart. However, this recipe can be substituted with sushi grade tuna, canned tuna, or smoked salmon. I included our sushi rice recipe in this post and you may have left over salmon and rice to make nigiri! Recipe adapted from LookCatchu, Lindsey Eats, and Alton Brown.
Cook Time: 25 minutes (prep sushi rice one night before)
Difficulty: ★ ★☆☆☆
INGREDIENTS
Sushi Rice
1 cup sushi rice (Japanese short grain rice)
1 cup water
Kombu (dried kelp)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
pinch of salt
corn starch and oil for frying
Spicy Salmon
1/2 pound of sushi grade salmon
2-3 tablespoons Kewpie mayo
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
splash of soy sauce to taste
sliced green onions to taste
sliced jalapeños for garnish
RECIPE
First prepare the sushi rice one night before. Add one cup of rice to rice cooker and rinse. Then add one cup of water and a 2-inch square of dried kombu to rice cooker and press start.
Once rice is cooked, remove the kombu and discard. Combine 1 tablespoon of white sugar and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar in small bowl and stir. Allow sugar to dissolve and then add to the rice. Mix the rice gently and add a pinch of salt to taste.
Next, line a small 1-inch deep tray or container with plastic wrap. Lay rice in the container and compress into an even flat surface about 1 inch deep. Cover container and place in the fridge.
The next day, remove rice from the container and cut into 1 x 2 inch rectangles with a wet knife. Then place cut rice cakes in the freezer while preparing the spicy salmon.
Chop the salmon into small cubes or can mince if you prefer.
6. Add kewpie mayo, sriracha, fresh lime juice, green onions, and splash of soy sauce and mix well. You can add salt to taste.
7. Remove rice from the freezer and very lightly coat with cornstarch. (I put too much cornstarch in the picture below)
8. Bring oil to frying temperature in a pot and place rice cakes gently in oil. Fry for 1 minute or until golden brown.
9. Remove from oil once done and start assembling with spoonful of spicy salmon. Add sliced jalapeno for garnish.
CONCLUSION
This was a fun appetizer dish to recreate at home. The light dusting of cornstarch prior to frying keeps the rice soft on the inside while allowing a nice crispiness on the outside. I've seen these eaten with caviar on top as well, but not on a resident salary! You can get creative with other toppings like tobiko or masago. Diced avocado can be a good substitute for a vegetarian option. The number of aprons I give this dish is...
7/10