I’m going to start off with a bold statement here: pizza is to New York as sushi is to Vancouver.
Hear me out- pizza originated in Italy, but has become synonymous with New York. Arguably, a New York slice and a traditional Napoli pizza won’t look quite the same. After years of evolving they have both become perfect in their own right, but they are simply cousins, not twins. Pizza is available just about anywhere in New York. There is a massive variety of pizza places- cheap buck a slice, upscale bistro, chain pizza shacks, hole in the wall gems, wood fired caves that pump out that perfect, foldable cheesy dough…
Go to any given street in Vancouver and you will find sushi.
Upscale? Hit Broadway’s Tojo’s. Something fun and different? Kitsilano’s The Eatery is a must visit. The quiet gem? Hitoe Sushi on 4th with the blink-and-you’ll-miss it signage (they have no website, the signs are written on white board but my goodness… sushi heaven).
Not to mention everywhere in between! I love living in a city where a spicy tuna roll can be snagged from absolutely anywhere, for reasonably cheap, and always be reliably delicious.
Fusion food. If this isn’t your first visit to the site, you know I love it.
No, these sushi bites are not traditional. The topping options below will likely get some curious looks from your Japanese friends. But, trust me- sharing is a good thing. A very good thing. 🙂
I list some potential rice topper combinations below but feel free to play with your own. To add an extra layer of fusion-y wonder to the pictures you see in this post, I didn’t even use lox in these last time- I used the Scandinavian beet-cured salmon from a few days ago! (hence the striking colour)
Once again, it just goes to show- traditional flavour combinations are popular for a reason but don’t ever be afraid of mixing things up. Maybe some combinations aren’t popular yet because geography held them apart!
I mean, look at these beauties ^^^ they’re like delicious little modern art pieces!
“Mmmm yes, indeeeeed, this one is called Deliciousness on a Monday, I feel it really speaks to the soul of fusion food and the socio-cultural ramifications of a predominantly first-generation Canadian culture. (no, but seriously, talk to me someday about how no one I know, except for my husband, had grandparents from Canada. We’re all new to this place and it makes life so interesting!)”
| Crispy Sushi Bites | Print |
- Rice:
- 1 cup sushi rice
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds (I used black for contrast)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- .
- The Loxy Bagel (pictured):
- Lox (I used my beet cured salmon)
- Capers
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- .
- The Bob Marley:
- Fresh mango, peeled into strips
- Avocado, cubed
- Sashimi grade ahi tuna, thinly sliced (optional, can be omitted for vegetarian)
- .
- The Stuzzicadente:
- Pickled asparagus, chopped into 2 inch pieces
- Prosciutto, torn into thin strips
- .
- Vancouver's Sweetheart:
- Candied salmon, broken into pieces
- Cucumber, peeled into thin strips
- Maple miso-nnaise*
- * Mix together ½ tsp miso paste, 1 tsp maple syrup and 2 Tbsp japanese mayonnaise)
- Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse the rice well. Place the rice in a medium saucepan with 1 cup of water and let soak for 30 minutes.
- After soaking, bring the rice to a boil on medium heat and then reduce the heat to very low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes then turn the heat off but do not remove the lid of the rice for an additional 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar and salt until dissolved.
- Transfer the rice to a large bowl and add half the vinegar mixture, stirring in a chop-and-fold-over method. Add the remaining vinegar mixture and continue to chop-and-fold mix until the rice is cooled to room temperature. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set the rice aside until you need to use it.
- Stir the sesame seeds into the rice. Wet your hands to reduce sticking and form rice patties out of the sushi rice roughly ¼ inch thick and 2 inches wide.
- Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over high heat. Once the oil is heated, place the rice patties into the oil and fry until lightly browned on both sides- roughly 3-5 minutes. Remove browned patties from the pan and set to drain on some paper towel.
- Lay toppings of your choice on the sushi patties and serve immediately.
These look incredible! I love the other combos you have in the recipe, so unusual and delicious sounding. Making the Bob Marley (w/o tuna) and Vancouver Sweetheart tomorrow night! I also really like the story… I am also a boomeranger, and it’s nice to hear about others who have scrambled out of the hole 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks, Alaina! Let me know how they turn out!
Ahhh, the boomerang… the trick is to keep moving and not get caught in a rut (and just remember that soooo many of us have been there!)