C – I love Japanese restaurants for their flavors and textures.
I just love going out to them. Like I mentioned yesterday, great ingredients really help make a great meal. Sushi, especially, showcases this concept. Fresh fish, simple ingredients with powerful flavors. A combination of different textures really makes these meals pleasurable.
This zig zag hand roll accomplishes all of this. Deep-fried crab meat, spicy sriracha sauce, the light flavor of avocado and fresh-tasting vegetables really go well together. Equally important is the texture.
They tasted great. Of course, the fine art of making sushi got to Luke just a little. The size of his hand rolls were as big as his hand. A little too big. We ended up being completely full, before we could start on any other rolls. This is why sushi masters take such a long training to become great.
This roll didn’t look as pretty as the spicy tuna. The avocado oxidized a little bit. We should have squeezed a little bit of lime over, to keep the color greener.
| Zig Zag Hand Roll |
- 1 soft shell crab
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- ½ inch oil in a pan for frying
- ½ ripe avocado, diced
- 2 Tbsp sriracha
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp cilantro, chiffionade
- 1 nori sheet cut 5×5 inch
- 2 Tbsp prepared sushi seasoned rice
- 1 lettuce leaf
- 1 asparagus stalk, blanched
- 5 radish sprouts
- 2 slices of cucumber, ¼ inch thick
- Pat soft shell crab completely dry.
- Dredge in cornstarch completely.
- Heat oil on medium high. Place crab and cook until golden brown. About 3 minutes. Drain on a piece of paper towel.
- Chop crab meat into large chunks. Place into a bowl.
- In the same bowl, add avocado, sriracha, soy sauce and cilantro. Mix well.
- Place nori sheet in front of you, shaped like a diamond.
- Wet hands with water and place sushi rice in the middle of the nori sheet. Distribute evenly, leaving ¼ sheet without rice.
- Place lettuce leaf in the center of the rice.
- Top radish sprouts in the center of lettuce.
- Place asparagus in the center of the sprouts.
- Add the cucumbers beside the asparagus.
- Top with ½ the crab mix.
- Roll sheet in to a cone.
- Add more of the crab mix on top.
- Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.
- Enjoy!
Oh well, it still tasted great!
Thanks, Luke, for making this tasty roll.