The Ahi Tuna Sushi Tower is an absolute showstopper. Get your smartphones ready because you’re going to want to snap some pictures before totally devouring into it.
The Ahi Tuna Sushi Tower consists of sushi rice, mango salsa, avocado mash, cucumbers and spicy ahi tuna. Each separate component is really easy to make, and everything can be made in advance until you’re ready to assemble your sushi tower. Aside from the rice (unless you use a rice cooker) there’s really no real cooking involved. Just peeling, chopping and mixing.
You’ll need a ring mold for this recipe. They’re available at most kitchen utensil stores and online (often called Sushi Tower Kit or just simply ‘ring mold’). You can even make your own DIY ring mold by opening the two ends of an empty soup can. It works just as good.
There are 2 ingredients that you may not be familiar with in the recipe: Gochujang and Kewpie. Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chili paste (and in my opinion it makes everything taste better) and Kewpie is a Japanese mayonnaise which includes only egg yolk so it’s creamier in color and in texture. Nowadays these 2 ingredients can easily be found in Asian markets or even at your local grocery store. If you can’t find either of these ingredients you can substitute Sriracha for the gochujang and regular mayonnaise for the kewpie.
Create a delicious work-of-art and impress your guests with the Ahi Tuna Sushi Tower. It’s a delicious alternative to the standard sushi rolls… and better!
For those who prefer to stay away from raw fish try the Spicy Shrimp Sushi Tower recipe.
Ahi Tuna 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 that is sure to impress your guests.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked sushi rice
- 2 mangoes
- 4 ripe avocados
- 1 English cucumber
- 500g sushi-grade ahi tuna
- 1 lemon
- 1lime
- SEASONINGS:
- -rice wine vinegar (3 tablespoons)
- -sake (1.5 tablespoons)
- -sugar (3.5 tablespoons)
- -salt (2 teaspoons)
- -kewpie/japanese mayo (6 tablespoons)
- -gochujang/Korean red chili paste (6 teaspoons)
- -sesame oil (3 teaspoons)
- -sweet chili sauce (1 tablespoon)
- -mirin (1/4 cup)
- -soy sauce (1/4 cup)
- -green onion (2 stalks)
- GARNISH:
- -furikake (2 tablespoons)
- -cilantro (a handful)
- -green onion (1 stalk, chopped)
- -mixed greens (60g), optional
- EQUIPMENT:
- A stainless steel cylinder or ring mold with both ends open.
Directions
- Step 1 The Ahi Tuna Tower layers consist of 5 main ingredients: rice, mango salsa, avocado mash, cucumber, ahi tuna. Below are instructions on how to make each layer and how to assemble.
- Step 2 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 3 MANGO SALSA: Peel and chop the mangoes into chunks. Add to a medium bowl. Add 2 pinches of salt, juice of 1/2 lime and 1 finely chopped green onion…white part only. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
- Step 4 AVOCADO MASH: Peel and roughly mash avocados in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, juice of 1/2 lime, and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
- Step 5 CUCUMBER: Thinly slice the cucumber. That’s it. 🙂 Set aside.
- Step 6 AHI TUNA: Make the sauce first. In a medium bowl add the spicy ahi tuna sauce ingredients (3 tablespoons Kewpie, 3 teaspoons gochujang, 3 teaspoons lemon juice, 1.5 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 finely chopped green onion). Mix well. Then cut the ahi tuna into small cubes and add to the bowl with sauce. Mix to combine. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the towers.
- Step 7 SPICY MAYO: Add the following ingredients in a bowl and mix well: 3 tablespoons Kewpie, 3 teaspoons gochujang, 3 teaspoons lemon juice, 1.5 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- Step 8 UNAGI SAUCE: In a small saucepan, add 1/4 cup mirin, 1.5 tablespoons sake and 2.5 tablespoons sugar. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then add 1/4 cup soy sauce and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to the low heat and continue simmering for about 10 minutes. When it starts to bubble take the pan off the heat and let it cool. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. You can store the sauce in an airtight jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Step 9 GARNISH: Chop a handful of cilantro and 1 green onion.
- Step 10 RICE SEASONING: Once your rice is ready you can season the rice. (You want to do this right before building your towers because you want your rice to be warm and soft.) Add rice to a large bowl. In a separate small bowl make the rice seasoning by mixing 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour over rice and combine. Place a kitchen towel over your bowl to keep the steam inside and your rice warm.
- Step 11 MAKE THE TOWERS: Randomly spread some mixed greens on a plate. (This is part of the garnish and it is optional.) Set your cylinder in the middle of the plate. Add rice to fill up 1/3 of the cylinder, then add the mango to fill another 1/3 layer, then the avocado mash to fill up the last 1/3 of the cylinder. Cover the top with some cucumber slices. Using a pusher or something with a flat surface (like the bottom of a glass cup) gently keep the ingredients in place with one hand while you slide the cylinder upwards with your other hand. Now add on your ahi tuna on top of the cucumber slices, drizzle both spicy mayo and unagi sauce over the top (and let some drizzle onto the plate), sprinkle some furikake, chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. Serve with pride.