Ease of Preparation: Easy
Time of Preparation: 1 hour
Yield: 20-24 bite-size rice cakes
If you’ve ever been eating sushi and thought to yourself “this just needs a bit more crunch to be perfect,” then boy, do we have a recipe for you! Rich cubes of top-quality ahi tuna, spicy mayo, and crispy-fried sushi rice cakes! Maximum sushi crunch!
Ingredients:
Spicy Tuna:
- ½ cup (120 ml) kewpie/Japanese mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) sriracha
- ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) finely chopped scallions
- 1 pound (454 g) sushi-grade ahi tuna
Sushi Rice Cakes:
- 2 cups (470 ml) sushi or short grain rice
- 3 cups (710 ml) water, plus extra for rinsing rice
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) rice vinegar + 4 tablespoons (60 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce, for dipping
- Vegetable oil with a few drops of sesame oil, for searing
To Serve:
- Sushi Rice Cakes
- Spicy Tuna
- 1-2 ripe avocados, sliced
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) finely chopped scallions
- ½ sheet nori, matchsticks
- Mix of white and black sesame seeds, toasted
Method:
For the Spicy Tuna:
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sriracha, and soy. Mix until uniform.
Dice the ahi into small cubes (1/4-inch/6 mm), then gently fold in some of the sriracha-mayo mixture and the scallions.
Fold in the scallions. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
For the Sushi Rice Cakes:
Rinse rice well, drain, then combine with water in a saucepan set over medium high heat. Season with salt.
Bring to a gentle boil, then cover tightly, reduce heat to the lowest setting.
Steam, without disturbing, for 15 minutes.
Cut the heat. Leave covered/undisturbed for 10 more minutes.
In a small pan, combine the rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Warm through (stirring) until the sugar dissolves.
In a large (glass or non-reactive) bowl, combine the warm vinegar mixture with the rice, gently alternating folding and drizzling to ensure even coverage.
Allow the rice to cool completely; loosely covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
Using hands (or a cookie cutter or rice mold), form the cooled rice into small discs.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
Sear the cakes on one side until golden. Flip and repeat.
To Serve:
Remove from the skillet and top with avocado, Spicy Tuna, then garnish with chopped scallions, nori, and sesame.
Serve any remaining spicy mayo mixture alongside.