Maybe not everyone can make a perfect sushi roll as pretty as those made by trained sushi chefs, but I can certainly assure you that absolutely no training is needed when making this stunning sushi tower, the Spicy Shrimp Sushi Tower. It’s sooooo easy! Just leave the bamboo sushi mat in your drawer and get out your stainless steel cylinder. If you don’t have one (they’re also called Sushi Tower Kit, sold in most kitchen utensil stores or online …try Amazon) you can easily turn an empty soup can into a DIY sushi tower kit by cutting open the two ends.
The Spicy Shrimp Sushi Tower consists of sushi rice, mango salsa, avocado mash, cucumbers and spicy shrimp. Each separate component is relatively easy to make, and they can all be made in advance and kept cool in the refrigerator until ready to use (with the exception of the rice). It’s topped with a spicy mayo sauce for additional flavor (and an extra kick) and sprinkled with wasabi furikake to add not only an authentic Japanese flavor but color and brightness too.
My friend, Saranne, joined me last week to make these Spicy Shrimp Sushi Towers for our families. Before I had invited her to my home I had no idea she attended a highly reputable culinary school in Europe, and trained in both patisserie and culinary cooking. It’s no wonder her pastry boutique and chocolatier, also called Saranne, was an instant (and still is) huge success, drawing in customers from both near and far. It’s located in Oisterwijk, The Netherlands, so if you’re planning a trip to this charming village, then it’s a definite MUST for a delicious healthy lunch, high tea with friends, a frothy cappuccino or a delectable sweet treat. Visit Saranne
Don’t hesitate…get your hands on any cylinder available and make this Spicy Shrimp Sushi Tower. Like me, you can make it with confidence for your friends and family (even for a trained culinary chef!).
Lieve Saranne, thank you so much for the fun and memorable evening with you and your family (and Choco too, of course). xoxo
Spicy Shrimp Sushi Tower
A fun and very easy alternative way of making sushi. With the help of a stainless steel cylinder you can create a delicious work-of-art.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked sushi rice
- 1/2 pound shrimp, deveined and easy peel
- 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 mangoes. peeled and cut into small cubes
- 4 ripe avocados, roughly mashed
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 lime
- VARIOUS (see directions for amounts):
- - rice wine vinegar (~4 tablespoons)
- - sugar (~1 tablespoon)
- - salt (~3 tablespoons)
- - mayonaise (~9 tablespoons)
- - Sriracha (~3 tablespoons)
- - cilantro (~3 tablespoons)
- - green onion (~2 stalks) or 1/2 shallot
- - sweet chili sauce (~2 tablespoons)
- - soy sauce (~1 tablespoon)
- - furikake (~2 tablespoons)
- EQUIPMENT:
- A stainless steel cylinder or ring mold with both ends open.
Directions
- Step 1 RICE: Make rice according to package instructions. Or alternatively use a rice cooker. Make sure the rice is appropriate for making sushi because the most important part of sushi is the rice! Prepare the other ingredients while rice is cooking.
- Step 2 SHRIMP: In a medium pot add about 2 quarts of water, lemon slices and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring water to a boil. Add all the uncooked shrimp (peels still on). If your shrimp is frozen there is no need to thaw. Just add frozen shrimp into the boiling water. Cover the pot and turn off heat. Let it sit for about 5-6 minutes. If using frozen shrimp leave it a minute or 2 longer. These cooking times vary, of course, depending on the size of your shrimp, so please take this into consideration and make appropriate adjustments to cooking times. Once the shrimp is opaque and pink they are ready. A ‘C’ shape also determines they are ready (making an ‘O’ shape could mean they are overcooked). Drain and transfer to a big bowl with ice cold water. Once chilled peel and transfer to a plate covered with paper towel(s). Gently pat dry to absorb excess water and leave out to dry for about 5-10 minutes. Chop into small chunks. Add them to a medium bowl along with 3 tablespoons of mayonaise, 1 tablespoons of Sriracha and 2 pinches of salt. Mix well so that all the shrimp is covered with the sauce. Set in the refrigerator to chill while you make the rest of the ingredients.
- Step 3 CUCUMBER: Add thinly sliced cucumbers into a medium bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar. Combine. Set in the refrigerator. After about 20 minutes take it out of the refrigerator and drain out the excess liquid. The cucumbers will become wilted.
- Step 4 MANGO: Peel and chop the mangoes into chunks. Add to a medium bowl. Add 2 pinches of salt, 1/2 squeezed lime and 1 finely chopped green onion, white part only. (Alternatively you can replace the green onion with 1/2 shallot, finely chopped.) Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
- Step 5 AVOCADO MASH: Peel and roughly mash avocadoes in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 squeezed lime, and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
- Step 6 SPICY MAYO: In a small bowl mix together 6 tablespoons mayonaise, 2 tablespoons Sriracha, 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir well and set aside.
- Step 7 GARNISH: Prepare the garnish ingredients. 2 tablespoons furikake, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 chopped green onion.
- Step 8 RICE SEASONING: The last step before making the towers is to season the rice. First make the seasoning by mixing together 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Stir vigorously until all ingredients are well combined. Add cooked rice to a large bowl. Pour rice seasoning over the rice and combine gently, making sure you don’t press down on the rice. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel (the steam helps the rice absorb all the seasoning). Keep covered until ready to use.
- Step 9 MAKE THE TOWERS: Set your stainless steel cylinder down on your chosen serving plate. Make sure your cylinder has 2 open ends. Add 2-3 large spoonfuls of rice for the first layer. Press down firmly and level it out so the top is flat.. 2nd layer is the mango. 3rd layer is the avocado mash, and final layer is a layer of cucumber slices. You can decide the amount of each ingredient to add but make sure after each ingredient you press down firmly before the next ingredient is added. If your cylinder/ring mold came with a ‘pusher’ then set it on top of the cucumbers and press down firmly while you slide the cylinder upwards with your other hand. If you are using your DIY cylinder you can use the bottom of a glass cup as the ‘pusher’. To complete the tower, add spicy shrimp on top of the cucumber slices, sprinkle on the garnishes, and drizzle on the spicy mayo sauce (and on the plate too). Serve with pride.