This delicious spicy tuna crispy rice appetizer is made with crispy rectangles of seasoned sushi rice, fresh avocado slices and a dollop of deliciously creamy, umami flavored, spicy ahi tuna with a slice of jalapeño for an extra kick!
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
1.5 cups sushi rice rinsed until water is clear
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Spicy Tuna
1 pound ahi tuna sushi grade finely chopped
3 tablespoon Japanese kewpie mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon soy sauce for sushi and sashimi preferred
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1-2 teaspoon lime juice to taste
Garnish
avocado thinly sliced
toasted sesame seeds
chives or scallions minced
jalapeño or serrano pepper sliced
Equipment
Mixing Bowl
Rice Cooker
8×8 Baking Pan
Deep Skillet
Wire Rack
Instructions
Crispy Rice
- Prepare the rice. Thoroughly rinse the rice 4-5 times until the water turns clear. Add the water and salt. Mix and cook the rice in a rice cooker.
- Add in flavoring. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves. Once the rice is cooked, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and toss until combined with the rice.
- Shape and refrigerate the rice. Place your flavored rice into a small square baking tray lined with plastic wrap, and shape it into a 1/2-inch-thick square block. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. You can also freeze it for about 30 minutes. You want to chill the rice so that it is easy to cut into cubes.
- Cut the rice. Once the rice has chilled, cut the rice into bite-sized rectangles.
- Pan fry the rice. In a medium skillet, heat about 1/2-3/4 cup of vegetable oil (or enough to form an even thin layer in your skillet) on high heat for about 30 seconds. Gently, place the rice into the pan, leaving about 2 inches in between each piece. Be careful, the oil may splatter. Cook on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until golden brown, and then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack placed over a lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil.
Spicy Tuna
Mix the ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, add your chopped tuna, Kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Assemble
Assemble. Add thinly sliced avocado pieces on top of the crispy rice. Then place 1-2 tablespoons of spicy tuna on top. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, minced chives or scallions, and a jalapeño or serrano pepper slice.
