This recipe combines the best of many cultures with crispy fried sushi rice, aaah-mazing ahi tuna, and umami-inducing cream cheese to form the most divine appetizer bites this side of Tokyo.
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Prep time: 20 minutes
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Cook time: 10 minutes
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Total time: 30 minutes
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- Servings: 6
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1 pound(s) of sashimi-grade Ahi tuna
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3 tbsp. of Tobiko (roe)
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1/2 tsp. of sesame oil (or to taste)
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1/2 tsp. of Sriracha (or to taste)
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2 scallions- chopped ultra-fine
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2 ounce(s) of Philadelphia cream cheese
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1 tbsp. of rice vinegar
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2 tbsp. of canola oil
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4 tbsp. of butter
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1 tbsp. of tamari or soy sauce
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3 cup(s) of cooked sushi rice (purchase at store or Asian market)
- Finely chop ahi tuna. In a medium bowl, mix tuna, Tobiko, sesame oil, Sriracha, scallions, cream cheese and rice vinegar together. Cover and reserve in refrigerator.
- Using a sushi form or saran wrap, tightly pack sushi rice into long rolls to be cut into rectangles 2" long, 1" wide and 1/2" thick. Get as much air out of the rice as possible when you pack it, as more air means more proneness to disintegration.
- To fry, use a non-stick skillet and heat a bit of butter, touch of oil and tad of tamari until hot. Fry rice pieces a few at a time on both sides to avoid overcrowding. I lid mine so that popping rice kernels don’t jump out all over the kitchen. Once they are golden on both sides, they are ready for the tuna topping.
- Scoop your tuna mixture into a sealing plastic bag and cut the corner off to make a pastry bag. Pipe out a dollop of tuna onto each cube of crispy rice. Garnish with a few extra tobiko eggs for extra color. Alternatively you can garnish with a thinly sliced pepper, but I find the Sriracha gives these babies plenty of kick.