Sushi cake with avocado wasabi crema

Ingredients:

Sushi rice:

• 1kg short-grain sushi rice
• 3 ⅓ cups (830ml) water
• ¾ cup (180ml) rice vinegar
• ¼ cup (60ml) mirin or rice wine
• ¼ cup (60ml) sugar
• 1 tsp (5ml) salt

• 400g salmon fillet, cubed
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) white sesame seeds, plus 4 tsp (20ml) to sprinkle
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) sesame oil
• 2½ avocados, 2 peeled and quartered and ½ sliced
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) each Japanese mayonnaise and plain full-fat yoghurt
• Juice (30ml) of ½ lemon
• 1 Tbsp (15ml) wasabi
• 3 cups (750ml) cooked sushi rice (see ingredients above)
• 2 nori sheets
• 4 tsp (20ml) black sesame seeds
• 1 cucumber, sliced into ribbons
• A handful micro herbs
• Soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, to serve

Method:

1. To prepare sushi rice, rinse rice with cold water and drain. Repeat until water runs clear.
2. Soak rice in a pot with water for 30 minutes.
3. Heat vinegar, mirin or rice wine, sugar and salt in a saucepan over a medium-high heat.
4. Stir to dissolve sugar, then simmer until reduced by a third. Allow to cool.
5. Heat pot of rice over a medium-high heat.
6. Cover with lid and bring to the boil. Do not lift lid or steam will escape.
7. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Reduce heat further and steam, covered, for another 15-20 minutes.
9. Remove rice from pot, place in a wooden bowl and pour over vinegar mixture.
10. Mix rice with a wooden spoon in a cutting motion to separate grains.
11. Stir and fan rice for 10 minutes until it reaches room temp and becomes slightly glossy. 
12. Grains should be separated and not clumped together.
13. Set aside and keep covered with a damp cloth until using.
14. Mix salmon, white sesame seeds and sesame oil together. Set aside to marinate.
15. Combine quartered avo, mayonnaise, yoghurt, lemon juice and wasabi and blend until smooth with a stick blender to make avocado crema.
16. Wet hands to handle rice.
17. Divide prepared rice rice into three balls.
18. Prepare two circles (with a diameter of about 20cm) of nori by cutting the corners off nori sheets.
19. Place a ball of rice on both nori circles (rough side of nori facing upwards), and spread to cover.
20. Sprinkle 4 tsp (20ml) each black and white sesame seeds over rice.
21. Spread third rice ball into a disc so it’s the same size and shape as nori circles. This will be the cake base.
22. Layer cucumber ribbons on this rice disc.
23. Top with a nori and rice circle, spread half the avocado crema on top and place marinated salmon on top of that.
24. Layer the other nori and rice circle on top and cover with avocado slices.
25. Dollop with remaining avocado crema and herbs.
26. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

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