This has all the elements of sushi but without all the fiddly bit of rolling them up. It is a perfect light lunch or starter. To dice the salmon, I find it easiest to freeze the fish for an hour to get it to firm up. Wetting the knife then helps to stop the fish sticking to it.
Prep Time – 45 mins
Cook Time – 15 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the rice layer:
- 200g sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
For the fish layer:
- 400g salmon fillet, skinned (see hack) and diced
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1tbsp sesame oil
- 1tsp black sesame seeds
- 1tsp white sesame seeds
For the veggie layer:
- 1 avocado, peeled, stoned and diced
- ½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
- I tbsp lime juice
- a pinch of salt
- l tsp wasabi paste
To serve:
- salad leaves
- sushi ginger
- wasabi paste
- dark soy sauce, for dipping
- Prepare the sushi rice by rinsing it in a sieve under cold running water. Wash it several times until the water runs clear.
- Transfer the rice to a bowl, cover with water and soak it for 30 minutes.
- Drain the rice and measure it in a cup. Then, put it with the same volume of water into a saucepan on a high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook very gently, covered, for 15 minutes, until the grains are cooked through but still have a little bite.
- Drain, allow to steam dry for a minute, then transfer the rice to a clean bowl. Stir the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt through the rice while it’s still warm. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
- For the fish layer, toss the diced salmon with the soy sauce, sesame oil and both varieties of sesame seeds.
- For the veggie layer, in a separate bowl mix the avocado and cucumber with the lime juice, pinch of salt and wasabi paste.
- Using a ring mould or pastry cutter on each serving plate, layer the sushi rice, avocado and cucumber, then salmon, gently pressing down each layer. Then, carefully remove the ring mould. Serve with a few salad leaves, sushi ginger, wasabi paste and soy sauce on the side.
TIP: I also love this with sriracha mayonnaise, which I make by adding a crushed garlic clove, half a red chilli (pounded to a paste) and a squeeze of lemon to a cupful of mayo. Or, for the ultimate quick-fix, by stirring some shop-bought sriracha sauce through some Hellmann’s.
PRUE’S HANDY HACK
Skinning a fish fillet
Lay the fillet skin side down on a chopping board. Dip the tips of your fingers on one hand in salt, or use a cloth, to get a firm hold of the end of the skin. Hold a large cook’s knife in the other hand and use the blade to push the fish flesh away from the skin.