SPICY TUNA ROLLS WITH SESAME CUCUMBERS

Amarante

Tue, Nov 15 2016, 9:52 pm

Easier than learning to roll sushi - more like a sushi kreplach and no rice to deal with. Very elegant appetizer and easy to scale up or down.

Sushi grade tuna is expensive but this stretches it nicely.

You can prep the stuff ahead of time but if you prepare in advance the nori becomes soggy and unpalatable.

SPICY TUNA ROLLS WITH SESAME CUCUMBERS

Excerpt From: Tyler Florence - Tyler's Ultimate

HERE’S A GREAT WAY TO HAVE THE SUSHI EXPERIENCE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE TROUBLE OF MAKING RICE. Sushi-grade tuna makes a big difference in this recipe, so make the extra effort to track it down. A small block of really good tuna goes a long way. Use a sharp knife to cut it into one-quarter- to one-half-inch cubes—the smallest cubes you can manage easily.

SERVES 4

SESAME CUCUMBERS

1 hothouse cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1½ teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted over low heat in a dry skillet until fragrant
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

SPICY TUNA ROLLS

½ pound sushi-grade tuna
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hot chile paste, such as sambal
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted over low heat in a dry skillet until fragrant
¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 sheets nori
Radish sprouts, for garnish

First make the cucumber salad. Toss together the cucumber slices, sesame oil, sesame seeds, lemon juice, salt, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set it aside so that the cucumber has time to absorb the flavors of the marinade.
Cube the tuna and put it into a medium bowl. Add the mayonnaise, chile paste, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and lemon juice and gently fold that all together.

To assemble the rolls, cut each nori sheet into 4 squares. Put one square on your cutting board but turn it so that it looks like a diamond, with the points at top and bottom. Put a spoonful of tuna in the center and spread it out so that it covers the middle third of the diamond, running from the top to the bottom points. Top with a few radish sprouts. Fold the left side over and then the right, like you’re folding a burrito, and seal the nori with a dab of water. Repeat to make 8 tuna rolls. Serve immediately with the sesame cucumbers and garnish with the sprouts.