Crispy Rice with Spicy Salmon and Creamy Avocado
By Olivia Hayes
Prep
20 min
Cook
60 min
Total
260 min
Servings
18
For a dinner party appetizer, Crispy Rice with Spicy Salmon includes sushi rice and other ingredients shaped into small crispy cakes topped with avocado and spicy salmon․ Other ingredients in the Crispy Rice with Spicy Salmon dish, such as sweet chili sauce, jalapeño peppers, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, add sweet, hot, and nutty flavors․
Short-grain sushi rice is cooked and mixed with heated rice vinegar, sugar, and kosher salt․ This rice is the base ingredient for sushi․ It is pressed into an 8-by-8-inch pan and frozen․ The frozen rice is fried․ Finely chopped sushi-grade salmon is mixed with Kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha hot sauce, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and chopped green onion as a topping․ The topping is hot and creamy․
The rice is ready to fry if 18 slices cut from the block hold together at the edges․ Fry the rice slices in several batches until golden and crispy․ Let the fried slices cool to room temperature before topping․ The biggest problem with this dish is not freezing the rice long enough, so the slices do not hold together when fried but instead crumble․
Serve the pieces immediately after the fried rice and chilled salmon have been prepared․ Other dishes listed in the article to accompany these pieces include breaded pork cutlet, teriyaki chicken, and matcha-flavored tiramisu․ Arrange the pieces on a serving platter to allow guests to pick them up easily without dislodging toppings such as avocado․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Serves 18 people․ Family or party guests can share a composed appetizer with crunchy rice, cool avocado, and salmon․
- The combo is popular with sushi restaurant customers because of the contrast between the crispy outer shell and the sticky rice filling and the mild taste of spicy salmon․
- Guests can request jalapeño, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds to be added to their dish during assembly․
- Preparing the rice in advance saves the host time by enabling the rice dish to be frozen and the spicy salmon filling to be refrigerated․
- Kewpie dressing enhances the salmon mixture․ Traditional mayo is another good option for those who cannot find Kewpie locally but want to make this recipe․
- Leftovers are not good to store because the meal is meant to be served right away to take advantage of the hot rice and cold other ingredients․
Ingredients
- •2 cups short-grain rice (sushi rice)
- •3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- •3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- •1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- •neutral high-heat oil (for frying)
- •1 pound sushi-grade salmon (skin removed)
- •2 tablespoons Kewpie mayo (or regular mayo)
- •2 tablespoons sriracha
- •1 tablespoon soy sauce
- •1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (plus more for drizzling)
- •1 stalk green onion (finely chopped)
- •1 avocado (peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced)
- •1 jalapeño (thinly sliced)
- •toasted white sesame seeds (for sprinkling)
- •sweet chili sauce (for drizzling)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse and cook the rice according to the package directions.
- 2
While the rice cooks, whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, and kosher salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- 3
Pour the sushi vinegar over the cooked rice and fan with a rice paddle to coat evenly.
- 4
Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with plastic wrap, gently press the rice into an even layer, and cover with another piece of plastic wrap.
- 5
Freeze the rice for 3 hours, until firm enough to slice easily.
- 6
Chop the salmon into small 1/4-inch cubes and place it in a bowl.
- 7
Mix the salmon with the mayo, sriracha, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and green onion until well combined.
- 8
Cover the salmon mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- 9
Cut the firm rice into 18 rectangles, arranged as 6 columns by 3 rows.
- 10
Heat a wide-rimmed pan or pot over medium heat with neutral oil to a depth of about 1/2 inch.
- 11
Fry the rice blocks in three or more batches until golden brown and crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, reducing the heat if they brown too quickly.
- 12
Remove the fried rice with a spider or slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
- 13
Once the rice has cooled to room temperature, top each block with avocado, spicy salmon, jalapeño, toasted sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and toasted sesame seeds.
- 14
Serve immediately.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
155
Protein
7g
Fat
5g
Carbs
21g
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