God Father Recipe

Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs nearly clear (about 4–5 rinses). Drain and combine with 280 ml water in a rice cooker or pot. Cook according to rice cooker instructions or bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

While the rice cooks, combine 60 ml rice vinegar, 1.5 tbs sugar and 0.5 tsp salt in a small saucepan over low heat just until sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Remove and let cool slightly.

Transfer the hot cooked rice to a large wooden or plastic bowl. Gently fold in the vinegar mixture with a rice paddle or wooden spoon using a cutting/fanning motion to separate grains. Fan the rice as you mix to give it a glossy finish. Let the rice cool to body temperature (about 15–20 minutes).

Prepare the lobster: if tails are whole, butterfly them and cut into 4–5 long strips about the length of your nori sheet. Pat dry with paper towels. Lightly dust each piece with 2 tbs flour to help batter adhere.

Heat the neutral oil in a deep pot or fryer to 180°C (350°F). Keep a thermometer to maintain temperature.

Make the tempura batter: mix 100 g tempura batter mix with 180 ml ice-cold water. Stir lightly; lumps are okay — do not overmix. Immediately dip lobster strips into batter and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry in batches until golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes depending on thickness. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to drain. Repeat with remaining lobster.

When lobster pieces are slightly cooled, toss them gently with 2 tbs Japanese mayonnaise and 1 tsp sriracha (optional) to coat. This creates a slightly creamy, flavorful filling.

Prepare other fillings: slice the cream cheese into long batons (about 1 cm x 1 cm x length of nori), slice avocado thinly lengthwise, and julienne the cucumber. Keep everything close at hand.

Lay a bamboo sushi mat on plastic wrap. Place one nori sheet shiny-side down on the mat. With wet hands, spread a thin, even layer of cooled sushi rice over the nori leaving a 2 cm strip at the far edge clear.

Place two pieces of tempura lobster lengthwise across the rice about 2–3 cm from the near edge. Add a baton of cream cheese, a few avocado slices, and a couple of cucumber juliennes alongside the lobster. Do not overfill — keep a compact line of fillings.

Using the mat, lift the near edge and roll tightly over the fillings, pressing gently to compact. Roll forward to form a cylinder, sealing the clear nori edge with a little water. Repeat to make 3 more rolls (or adjust quantity to yield 4 rolls total).

Trim each roll into an even cylinder by pressing gently and rotating on a cutting board. Using a very sharp, wet knife, slice each roll into 8 pieces (wet the knife between cuts to get clean slices). Arrange the slices on a serving platter, cut side up.

Top each sushi piece with a thin slice of tuna or salmon: alternate so half the pieces have tuna and half have salmon. Gently press the fish onto the rice.

On top of each fish slice, add a small dollop (about 1/2 tsp) of masago, and sprinkle lightly with toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with a few microgreens or finely sliced scallion.

Drizzle about 1/2 tsp of unagi sauce over each piece (or more to taste) and serve the remaining sauce on the side along with soy sauce and wasabi.