South Pacific Recipe

If you don't have prepped rice, rinse 1 1/4 cups sushi rice until water runs clear, cook with 1 1/4 cups water. Once cooked, fold in 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt while still hot. Cool to room temperature, cover with a damp towel to keep from drying.

Combine

In a bowl, add 8 oz finely diced sushi-grade tuna, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp sriracha, 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp finely sliced green onion and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Gently fold to combine without mashing the tuna. Taste and adjust heat/salt. Refrigerate briefly until assembly.

Trim woody ends from 8 asparagus stalks and blanch in boiling water 30 seconds, then shock in ice water and drain. Pat dry thoroughly.

In a mixing bowl, whisk 1 large beaten egg into 3 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp cornstarch. Add 3/4 cup ice-cold club soda in two additions, stirring very lightly — batter should be lumpy and cold. Keep bowl over ice if warm in your kitchen.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Lightly dust asparagus with a teaspoon of flour, dip into tempura batter, then carefully lower into hot oil in batches. Fry until batter is pale golden and crisp, about 1.5–2 minutes. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Let cool slightly.

Whisk together 1/4 cup ponzu sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp mirin until smooth. Taste and adjust balance — add more sweet chili for sweetness/heat or more ponzu for acidity. Optionally stir in thinly sliced jalapeño for heat. Reserve.

Lay a bamboo sushi mat on a clean surface and place plastic wrap over it. Put one nori sheet shiny side down on the mat. With wet hands, take about 3/4 cup seasoned sushi rice and evenly press it into a thin layer over the nori, leaving a 1/2-inch strip at the far edge without rice.

Flip the nori sheet so the rice side is down on the plastic wrap (this creates an inside-out roll). Place two tempura asparagus stalks lengthwise across the nori near the edge closest to you. Add a thin line (about 2 tbsp) of the spicy tuna mix beside the asparagus and a few julienned cucumber pieces.

Use the mat to roll the nori tightly away from you, sealing the rice edge to the bare nori strip. Compress gently to form a firm cylinder. Repeat for remaining 3 sheets to make 4 rolls total.

Using a very sharp knife moistened with water, trim the ends of each roll and slice each roll into 8 equal pieces (for 32 pieces total). Wipe the knife between cuts to keep clean slices.

Lay out the sliced roll pieces on a serving plate. Thinly slice 6 oz sashimi-grade yellowtail into pieces large enough to drape over each sushi piece. Place a slice of yellowtail over each sushi piece so it covers the rice and fillings.

Drizzle the sweet chili ponzu over the yellowtail-topped rolls (about 1/2 to 1 tsp per piece) and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with microgreens or cilantro and optional thin jalapeño slices for heat.

Serve immediately with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi on the side.