inthekitchen
Chef Eric Nguyen Damecca Lounge Chef Eric is among the generation of cooks drawing on people ’ s food curiosity and embracing global ingredients to present notable mash-ups of culinary cultures . The recipes highlighted reflect elements of Japanese , Korean and French cuisines . Each one can be a meal for one , but Damecca encourages sharing and discovering new flavours among friends . World cuisine ingredients are available in most large supermarkets . However , specialties , like the Korean barbeque sauce , may require a ‘ field trip ’ to one of Winnipeg ’ s many Asian specialty grocers .
Sushi Tower
This artistic and attention getting appetizer smartly combines everyone ’ s favourite sushi ingredients into a fun and diverse tasting triumph . Chef Eric had a custom made metal mold created for this dish , but smaller ones can be found at kitchen supply stores .
INGREDIENTS 2 cups sushi rice ( short grain , white ) 1 / 2 avocado , diced 1 / 2 cup tuna , seared and diced 1 / 2 cup imitation crab mix 1 / 4 cup tempura crumbs
Sushi Rice 2 cups uncooked sushi rice 2 cups water 1 / 4 cup rice vinegar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar
Imitation Crab Mixture 4 crab sticks 1 Tbsp Kewpie mayo salt and pepper to taste
Garnish 1 / 4 cup red tobiko 4 thin slices of salmon unagi sauce to taste micro greens 1 nori sheet
METHOD Sushi Rice 1 . Rinse rice thoroughly until water is clear ( about 3 times ). 2 . Cook rice according to package directions . 3 . Remove from heat , and add vinegar , salt and sugar . 4 . Let sit to cool to warm .
Tuna 1 . Season tuna loin with sesame oil , salt and pepper . 2 . Sear all sides in a sauté pan or with a torch . 3 . Dice into 1 / 2 “ pieces .
Imitation Crab Mix 1 . Shred crab sticks , using a fork to pull away layers . 2 . Mix with mayo , salt and pepper .
Salmon Rose 1 . Lay out salmon in straight rows overlapping each other . 2 . Torch salmon and roll to make a rose .
Assembly 1 . Grease the inside of a 4 ” metal mold with mayo . 2 . Spoon rice into it to form the bottom layer about 1 ” high , packing it in tight , for a smooth surface . 3 . Layer each ingredient on top , gently pressing each layer down to stay intact . 4 . Start with avocado , then layer diced tuna , the crab mixture , topped with tempura crumbs . 5 . Transfer the filled mold onto a plate then carefully lift the mold to remove it . 6 . Using a kitchen torch , toast the tempura crumb topping . 7 . Drizzle a ring of unagi sauce on top of the tower and place the salmon rose in the center . 8 . Add the red tobiko and micro greens beside the rose . 9 . Slice the nori sheet into smaller pieces and serve beside .
Yield 1 serving
22 ciao ! / summer / two thousand twenty-four