Karen Gordon: Sushi bake, despite the name, is nothing like real sushi

Article content

The COVID-19 pandemic brought us many food trends, from sourdough bread to Dalgona whipped coffee, many of which I’m pretty much over. However, I found one food trend to be so delicious that it’s made its way into my regular dinner menu — and that is, sushi bake.

Article content

I’m no sushi connoisseur but I’ve certainly eaten my fair share of it. I can attest that sushi bake is unlike any sushi you’ve ever eaten. It’s a novel concept with origins in the Philippines and Hawaii. While it has the word sushi in it, it’s really nothing like real sushi. In other words, it contains no raw fish and it’s not even rolled.

While it has the trappings of sushi, like rice and nori — Japanese dried seaweed — that’s where the similarities end. Sushi bake is served warm, in a casserole dish, family style. It’s a deconstructed sushi roll served on top of Nori. It’s a layer of deliciously seasoned sushi rice, creamy and cheesy crabmeat, topped with a generous drizzle of Japanese kewpie mayo, unagi sauce and then baked until slightly caramelized. It’s then cut into 1-1/2” by 3” size pieces or scooped with a spoon onto pieces of nori, folded up and eaten like a Mexican taco. It’s great for those who find eating raw fish a little intimidating.

Article content

And for those who love their California rolls, then this is the dish for you. The rice is warm, sticky, and slightly tangy, while the filling is rich, creamy and decadent. The combination is simply delicious!

There are many ways of making sushi bakes. In its most basic form, it consists of a layer of sushi rice topped with a creamy mixture of imitation crabmeat, Japanese kewpie mayo, cream cheese and then baked until warm and slightly caramelized. However, other ingredients like cooked flaked salmon, crabmeat, tobiko also known as flying fish roe, avocado, green onions, unagi (eel sauce) and sriracha may also be added to add another layer of deliciousness to the dish.

Here are a few tips for making a knockout sushi bake:

Article content

• Use Japanese short-grain sushi rice. It’s stickier than white rice and is used specifically for sushi making. It’s sticky with a chewy bite.

• Use a good, seasoned rice vinegar. My personal favourite is Marukan Seasoned Gourmet Rice Vinegar available in the Asian section of supermarkets.

• Wash the rice well before cooking. This helps get rid of excess starch and prevents gumminess.

• Add the vinegar mixture to the rice when the rice is hot. This will help the rice to absorb the flavour of the vinegar and give it that deliciously tangy flavour.

• Use butter to grease the baking dish to prevent sticking. While you can use olive oil, butter adds additional flavour and another level of richness to the dish.

• Cool the rice before compressing it in the casserole pan. Cooled rice will hold its shape, reducing the chance of the sushi bake falling apart when removing it from the pan.

Article content

• Use Kewpie Japanese-style mayonnaise. Unlike regular mayo, Kewpie mayo is thicker and richer tasting. It’s also a little sweeter and tangier which adds another level of complexity to the dish.

• Don’t skip the Furikake. Furikake (pronounced as foo-ree-kar-kay) is a Japanese condiment that adds a briny, umami taste to the sushi bake. It simply won’t be the same without it!

California Style Sushi Bake

Sushi Rice:

2 cups raw sushi rice

3 cups cold water

3 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

Filling:

1 lb. (480g) imitation crabmeat, chopped

1 block (250g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup Kewpie mayo

1 tbsp sriracha sauce, more or less to taste

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/8 cup tobiko, raw flying fish roe

Article content

Topping:

Furikake

Kewpie Mayo

Unagi Sauce

Roasted seaweed flakes (optional)

Green onions, chopped

Dried nori seaweed sheets or roasted seaweed packets

Soy sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse rice very well under cold running water. Once the water runs clear, drain, and add 3 cups of cold water. Cook rice in a rice-cooker until done.

In a separate bowl, add the seasoned rice wine vinegar, salt, and granulated sugar. Whisk until the salt and sugar is dissolved.

Once the rice is done, fluff the rice lightly, immediately add the seasoned vinegar to the hot rice. Continue mixing gently. Do not mush up the rice. Once the grains are well seasoned, set the rice aside to cool.

While rice is cooling, prepare the filling.

Article content

In a medium size mixing bowl, add the cream cheese. Using a wooden spoon, mash up the cream cheese and stir until smooth. Add the mayo, sriracha, and sesame oil. Stir to combine. Add the chopped imitation crabmeat and tobiko. Stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Butter a 9×13” casserole dish. Add the cooled seasoned rice. Using the back of a wooden spoon, compress the rice into the pan, creating an even layer.

Sprinkle Furikake over the rice then top with the imitation crab mixture. Using the back of a spoon, spread the crab mixture evenly over the rice.

Drizzle kewpie mayo in a diagonal pattern over the crab mixture. Then drizzle sriracha in the opposite direction, creating a cross-hatch pattern.

Sprinkle roasted seaweed flakes, if using.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the top is caramelized and bubbly.

Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped green onions.

Using a knife, slice the sushi bake into pieces measuring 1-1/2” wide by 3” long. Then use a spatula to lift and remove the sushi bake from the pan. To serve, place sushi bake on top of a piece of seaweed. Dip in soy sauce, if using, before eating. Enjoy!

Karen Gordon is a Food Blogger from North Vancouver who shares her recipe creations online at karentology.com and on Instagram at @karen.t.ology