Red Prawn Dragon Recipe

Prepare prawns

Make a shallow cut along the belly of each prawn to devein if needed. Leave tails intact. Pat prawns dry with paper towel, then lightly dust all sides with 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and shake off excess — this helps batter adhere.

Make batter

Place 1 cup tempura batter mix into a bowl and add 1 cup ice-cold water. Stir lightly with chopsticks or a fork just until combined; lumps are fine. Keep batter cold by setting the bowl over another bowl with ice if available.

Heat oil

Pour vegetable oil into a deep pot to a depth of about 3 inches (roughly 1 L) and heat to 175–180°C (350–360°F). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small bit of batter — it should sizzle and rise immediately.

Fry prawns

Working in batches to avoid crowding, dip each floured prawn into the tempura batter to coat, then carefully lower into hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per batch depending on size. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack or paper towel, and lightly season with 1 tsp salt while hot. Keep warm in a low oven (100°C / 210°F) if making ahead.

Prepare rice

If not already done, cook sushi rice and season with 3 tbs rice vinegar seasoning while still warm; gently fold to combine and cool to near room temperature. Keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Assemble nori

Place a bamboo mat covered with plastic wrap on a work surface. Lay one half-sheet nori shiny side down on the mat. With wet hands, spread about 3/4 cup of prepared sushi rice evenly over the nori, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 in) bare border at the top. Sprinkle 1/2 tbs toasted sesame seeds over the rice.

Add fillings

Along the center of the rice (closest to you), arrange two fried tempura prawns lengthwise, trimming if necessary so ends fit comfortably. Add a few julienned cucumber strips (about 2–3 strips) and thin slices of avocado (use half the avocado for this roll).

Roll

Lift the mat edge and roll firmly but gently away from you, tucking the fillings and forming a tight roll. Press along the seam to seal. Repeat to make 4 rolls (or 4 half-sheets yields 4 rolls total). Let rolls rest seam-side down for 1–2 minutes.

Prepare salmon and spicy mayo

Thinly slice the sashimi salmon into pieces suitable for draping (about 8–12 slices). In a small bowl, mix 2 tbs mayonnaise with 1 tsp sriracha to make spicy mayo; adjust heat to taste.

Top the roll (Dragon style)

Place a roll seam-side down and drape overlapping slices of salmon across the top of the roll so the salmon covers the rice completely. Press gently so the salmon adheres. Fan the remaining avocado (sliced thin) on top of the salmon if you prefer extra avocado. Lightly brush 1 tbs unagi sauce over salmon to glaze.

Add tobikko and finishing touches

Using a small spoon, dot 3 tbs tobikko in small mounds along the top of the roll and/or along the sides for color and texture. Drizzle a thin line of remaining unagi sauce and 1 tbs soy sauce around the plate. Dot or pipe small amounts of spicy mayo over the roll and sprinkle with 2 tbs sliced scallions.

Using a sharp, wet knife, slice each roll into 8 equal pieces, wiping the knife clean between cuts for neat slices. Arrange on a serving plate, garnish with microgreens or shiso leaves, and serve with pickled ginger, wasabi, and extra soy sauce on the side.

Estimated plating: place 8 pieces per roll; the recipe yields 4 rolls which can serve 4 people (2 pieces each) as a part of a larger meal or 2–3 people as a main sharing plate.