APRIL 2019 43
SUSHI “BISCOTTI”
Baking cooked sushi rice on a sheet pan transforms
it into addictive, crispy rice cakes. Top them with a
variety of flavors, like spicy tuna, miso eggplant,
and ripe avocado, for a stunning party appetizer.Crispy Rice Cakes
ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 8 HR 55 MIN
MAKES 566 cups cooked sushi rice,
cooled
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. plus^1 /^8 tsp. kosher salt
Cooking spray
3 Tbsp. canola oil- Line a rimmed quarter sheet pan
with plastic wrap, leaving 2 inches
of overhang on all sides. Place rice
in a large bowl. Stir together rice
vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small
bowl until salt is dissolved. Drizzle
over rice; gently fold together.
Lightly pack rice into a 1-cup dry
measuring cup; invert onto pre-
pared pan. Repeat with remaining
rice, creating 2 rows of 3. Moisten
hands slightly; gently press rice into
an even layer. Place another piece
of plastic wrap directly on surface
of rice; press firmly into a compact,
even layer (^1 / 2 inch to^5 / 8 inch thick).
Fold overhanging plastic wrap over
top, gently pressing on top and
smoothing outer edges. Chill 8
hours or overnight. - Preheat oven to 475°F with oven
racks in middle and lower third of
oven. Remove baking sheet from
refrigerator. Unwrap plastic wrap,
and remove top piece on rice; invert
rice onto a work surface. Remove
plastic wrap from back. Cut into
about 56 (1^1 / 2 - x 1-inch) pieces. (For
clean slices, dip knife into warm
water, and wipe clean often.) Lightly
coat top of rice pieces with cooking
spray. Brush 2 rimmed baking
sheets evenly with oil. Place 28 rice
pieces, cooking spray–coated sides
down, on each oiled baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until crisp
and lightly golden, 14 to 20 minutes.
Flip and top immediately.
TOTAL 25 MIN; MAKES 20
7 oz. sushi-grade fresh tuna,
cut into small cubes (about 1
cup)
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced scallions
2 Tbsp. masago (orange, salt-
cured smelt roe) (such as
Sushikko)
2 Tbsp. Kewpie mayonnaise
11 / 2 Tbsp. ponzu(^3) / 4 tsp. la-yu (Japanese chile oil)
TOTAL 15 MIN; MAKES 18
1 medium-size (5 oz.) ripe
avocado
18 Crispy Rice Cakes
Flaky sea salt (such as
Maldon)TOTAL 40 MIN; MAKES 18
1 (10-oz.) Japanese eggplant,
cut into^1 / 2 -inch cubes (about
3 cups)
3 Tbsp. canola oil
Cooking spray(^1) / 4 cup white miso
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
18 Crispy Rice Cakes
Pinch of kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss
together eggplant and oil in a
medium bowl. Spread in a even
layer on an aluminum foil–lined
(^1) / (^4) tsp. kosher salt
20 Crispy Rice Cakes
1 serrano chile, seeded and
thinly sliced
Stir together tuna, scallions,
masago, mayonnaise, ponzu, la-yu,
and salt in a medium bowl. Top each
Crispy Rice Cake with about 1 tea-
spoon tuna mixture and 2 to 3 ser-
rano slices, and serve immediately.
Cut avocado in half lengthwise. Cut
each half crosswise into 2 pieces;
cut each piece into 14 thin slices.
Shingle 3 or 4 avocado slices over
each Crispy Rice Cake. Sprinkle
with salt to taste. Serve
immediately.
baking sheet coated with cooking
spray. Bake until tender, about 20
minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Meanwhile, bring a small sauce-
pan of water to a simmer over low.
Place miso and sugar in a small
heatproof bowl large enough to
cover top of saucepan. Set bowl on
top of saucepan, creating a double
boiler. Cook, stirring occasionally,
until smooth, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat; gently stir in
roasted eggplant. Top each Crispy
Rice Cake with about 1 teaspoon
warm miso topping, and sprinkle
evenly with salt. Serve immediately.
Spicy Tuna Sushi “Biscotti”
Pair with a 2016 Ovum Base Line Riesling or 2017 Stony Hill Gewürztraminer.Avocado Sushi “Biscotti”
Pour a 2016 Lail Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc or a 2014 ILauri Tavo Pinot Grigio.Nasu Miso Sushi “Biscotti”
Both the 2014 Mount Eden Chardonnay and the 2015 Saget La Perrière Marie
de Beauregard Vouvray stand up to the deeply savory miso eggplant.