Crispy Rice Salmon

Crispy rice salmon is my new favorite go-to appetizer when I am looking to impress my family and friends. Made with fresh sushi-grade salmon, yuzu kosho, yuzu juice, and seasoned sushi rice this light, zingy, and savory crispy salmon bite will surely satisfy your sushi cravings.

📝 Ingredients

• 1.5 cups dry short grain sushi rice (rinsed until water is clear)
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 pound salmon (sushi grade)
• 3 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon yuzu kosho
• 1 teaspoon yuzu juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 cucumbers (halved and thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 4 stalks Green onion (chopped)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Crispy Rice ---
2. 2Prepare the rice. Thoroughly the rice 4-5 times until the water turns clear. Cook the rice and water in a rice cooker or on the stove.
3. 3Season the rice. In a small bowl, mix the salt, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil until the sugar has dissolved. Once the rice is cooked, toss the mixture with the cooked rice in a large bowl and toss until combined.
4. 4Shape and refrigerate the rice. Place your flavored rice into a small square baking tray lined with plastic wrap. Press and shape your rice into a 1/2-inch thick square block. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. You want to chill the rice so that it is slightly dried out and easy to cut into cubes.
5. 5Shape the rice. Once the rice is chilled, cut the rice into bite-sized rectangles. Pat to dry off any excess water condensation.
6. 6Pan-fry the rice. In a medium skillet, heat about 1/4-1/2 cup of vegetable oil (enough to fill a thin layer on your skillet) on medium-high heat until hot 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 2 minutes or until golden brown and then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack placed over a lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil.
7. 7--- Salmon ---
8. 8Mix the ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, add your chopped salmon, kewpie mayonnaise, yuzu kosho, yuzo juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix until thoroughly combined.
9. 9--- Assemble ---
10. 10Assemble. Add thinly sliced cucumber pieces on top of the crispy rice. Then place 1-2 tablespoons of spicy salmon on top. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions.