Dragon C Recipe

Rinse and cook

Rinse 2 cups sushi rice under cold water until runoff is clear. Drain and combine with 240 ml water in a rice cooker or pot. Cook according to rice cooker instructions or bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam 10 minutes covered.

Season rice

Meanwhile, warm 4 tbs rice vinegar with 2 tbs sugar and 1 tsp salt in a small pan until sugar dissolves (do not boil). Transfer cooked rice to a wide bowl, gently fold in the vinegar mixture with a wooden paddle or spatula while fanning to cool. Fan and fold until rice is shiny and slightly sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and keep at room temperature.

Prepare shrimp

Pat shrimp dry. Make 3 shallow slits along the underside of each shrimp to prevent curling, then stretch gently. Lightly season with 1 tsp kosher salt.

Make batter

In a bowl, sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tbs cornstarch and 1 tsp baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk 1 beaten egg with 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir very briefly — batter should be lumpy and cold (do not overmix). Keep batter chilled in a bowl set over ice if possible.

Fry shrimp

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 175°C (350°F). Lightly dust shrimp with a little extra flour, dip into the cold batter to coat, and carefully lower into hot oil. Fry 2–3 shrimp at a time for 2–3 minutes until pale golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat until all shrimp are cooked. Let cool slightly.

Prepare nori and rice

Place a bamboo sushi mat on plastic wrap. Put one nori sheet, shiny side down. With wet hands, spread about 1 cup of seasoned sushi rice evenly over the nori leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) margin at the top edge.

Layer fillings

In a horizontal line across the rice about 1 inch from the bottom edge, arrange 3–4 tempura shrimp (tails should extend slightly toward the right if making inside-out roll), and a thin row (about 1/2 cup) of julienned cucumber. Press the filling gently into the rice so it holds together.

Roll

Using the mat, lift the edge nearest you and roll firmly but gently away from you, tucking the fillings and pulling the mat as you go to form a tight roll. Seal the top margin of nori with a little water. Place seam-side down.

Top with unagi and avocado

Place thin slices of avocado and unagi along the top of the rolled sushi. If desired, lightly warm unagi in a skillet for 20–30 seconds to make it more pliable and to slightly caramelize the nitsume when added.

Brush with nitsume

Brush 4–5 tbsp of nitsume (eel sauce) evenly over the unagi and avocado topping so it glazes the roll. Use the remaining nitsume for serving.

Slice

Using a very sharp knife moistened with water, slice the roll into 8 equal pieces. Wipe the knife between cuts to keep slices clean and neat.

Arrange the 8 pieces on a serving plate. Drizzle any remaining nitsume over the pieces. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top. Serve immediately with soy sauce, pickled ginger and optional wasabi.