Nobu Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna
Make better-than-Nobu Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna at home! This trendy appetizer features bite-sized crispy rice topped with creamy thinly-sliced avocado, finely-chopped tuna mixed with a delicious spicy sauce, and jalapeños!Cured and canned fish options available.
Ingredients
For The Rice
- 1 cup (210 g) sushi rice (short grain)
- 1 and 1/4 cup (310 ml) water
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil (or sunflower or peanut oil, for frying)
For The Spicy Tuna
- 1/2 lbs (225 g) sushi-grade ahi tuna (or cured smoked salmon or canned tuna)
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp (17 g) Japanese kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp (15 g) sriracha sauce
- 1/2 tbsp (7 g) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
For Assembling
- 1 avocado (ripe but still quite firm)
- 1-2 jalapeños
Instructions
For The Rice
- Make the sushi rice. Rinse the sushi rice with cold water in a mesh-strainer until the water runs mostly clear (about 1-2 minutes). Add the rinsed sushi rice to a large saucepan, pour in the water, place over medium-high heat, and cover with a tight-fitting lid with a vent hole (if you don’t have one with a vent-hole, crack it open). Cook until the water starts bubbling up, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until it absorbs completely, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, make the sushi rice seasoning.
- Make the sushi rice seasoning. In a small saucepan over low heat, add the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat until the sugar and salt dissolve completely, stirring from time to time, then turn off the heat.
- Season and shape the rice. As soon as the rice is ready, transfer it to a 8″x 8″ (20 x 20 cm) baking dish, gently mix in the rice seasoning with a spatula or a spoon, then press down rice into the baking dish until you get an even 1/2-inch or 1-inch (1.20 cm or 2.5 cm) block of pressed rice. Allow to come down to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Cut the rice. Remove the rice from the refrigerator and use a knife to cut it into rectangles. With this recipe, I get 15 rectangles. You can also do squares or circles (using a small cookie cutter greased with non-stick spray or oil).
- Fry the rice. Add about 1/2-inch (1.20 cm) of oil to a medium skillet over medium heat and allow the oil to heat until it reaches 350F (180C) in temperature. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer for this step (I like this one) as you need the oil to be just right. Once the oil is hot, add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden, then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Place the fried rice onto a plate lined with parchment paper to absorb the excess oil.
For The Spicy Tuna
- Make the spicy mayo sauce. In a medium bowl, add the Japanese kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice. Mix until combined.
- Prepare the tuna, avocado, and jalapeño. Finely chop the ahi tuna finely. If using smoked salmon, chop it finely. If using canned tuna, drain the tuna very well. For the avocado, use a sharp knife to cut lengthwise straight down the pit and all the way around the avocado, cutting it in half. Gently twist the two halves apart, firmly whack the knife into the pit and pull it out then place the avocado halves cut-side down, peel the skin off, then slice finely. For the jalapeño, simply finely slice the pepper (remove seeds and membranes for less heat).
- Assemble. Mix the chopped fish into the spicy mayo sauce. To assemble, add a few slices of avocado to each crispy rice, top with 1-2 teaspoon of spicy tuna mix, 1 slice of jalapeño, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions: to make crispy rice with spicy tuna ahead of time, follow the recipe through step 3, then let the rice chill overnight. The next day, follow step 3.
Storing Instructions: crispy rice spicy tuna doesn’t store well because of the avocado and jalapeño as well as the fish, especially if you’re using sushi grade fish which has to be eaten fresh within a short amount of time. I don’t recommend storing it.
Nutrition facts are calculated on 1 single serving (3 appetizers). This recipe makes 15.
Nutrition
Calories: 402kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 14gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 454mgPotassium: 354mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1086IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
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