Sushi Pizza Bites

Difficulty:

1/5

Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 1 hour
Yield: 9 servings

Custom designed for your next canape cocktail party, these handheld, crispy, sushi rice ‘pizzas’ are sure to be a hit! Delicate and flavorful smoked salmon is draped over crispy rice cakes, and punched up with spicy mayo and savory wasabi cream cheese with a horseradish kick! Sure to be the star of your next fancy affair!

Ingredients:

Spicy Mayo:

1 cup (240 ml) Japanese mayonnaise
¼ cup (60 ml) sriracha sauce

Wasabi Cream Cheese:

2 cups (470 ml) whipped cream cheese
¼ cup (60 ml) wasabi paste
1 teaspoon (5 ml) soy sauce

Mini Sushi Pizzas:

2 cups (470 ml) sushi rice
3 ¼ cups (770 ml) water
4 tablespoons (60 ml) rice vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
1 cup (240 ml) flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups (470 ml) panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
9 ounces (250 g) smoked salmon
2 avocados, peeled, cored, and cut into slices
1 cucumber, sliced into thin rings
5 scallions, sliced thin, greens only
¼ cup (60 ml) toasted white sesame seeds
3 sheets nori, cut into small pieces and ground in a spice mill

Method:

For the Spicy Mayo:

Whisk together the Japanese mayo and sriracha in a small bowl.

Transfer the spicy mayo into a squeeze bottle and set aside for serving.

For the Wasabi Cream Cheese:

Whisk together the wasabi, cream cheese, and soy sauce.

Set aside for plating.

For the Mini Sushi Pizzas:

Rinse the sushi rice under cold water in a colander, until the water runs mostly clear.

Add 3 cups (710 ml) of water to a small pot over high heat and transfer the rice to the pot. Bring to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cover.

Cook for 12-15 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed by the rice.

While the rice is cooking, add the remaining water, rice vinegar, sugar, and half of the soy sauce to another pot and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 1 minute, until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.

Turn off the heat under the rice and allow it to sit covered for 5 minutes.

Transfer the cooked rice to a mixing bowl and add the sugar-vinegar-soy mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time, folding in thoroughly with a spatula.

Loosely cover the rice with plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature until cooled slightly.

Once the rice has cooled, use a 2-inch (5 cm) cookie cutter as a mold to shape it into about 9 small circles that are ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick.

Place the rice cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes or until firm enough to handle as a disc.

Meanwhile, in a heavy pan over medium-high heat, preheat 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) of vegetable oil to 350 F (175 C).

Remove the firmed rice cakes from the freezer and dust with flour, dredge in the beaten eggs, and finally in the panko breadcrumbs. Coat completely and shake off any excess.

Fry the rice cakes in batches, until golden brown, flipping halfway (about 2 minutes), then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Keep warm.