ASYA'S FAVORITE SUSHI BAKE

Asya's Favorite Sushi Bake image

Think of a sushi bake like a flavorful sushi roll, layered into a casserole and baked to perfection. Many recipes I've seen use the California roll as inspiration, but, for our family's favorite, we like to roast salmon or Arctic char fillets and flake them up instead of using crab. Sushi rice forms the bottom layer, topped with flaked char mixed with a spicy mayo. On top, we layer furikake, a Japanese spice blend, and a little tamari-based sauce. Scooping the bake onto roasted nori sheets makes the perfect bite and my daughter's favorite weeknight dinner.

Provided by Aliya LeeKong

Time 55m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

Six 5- to 7-ounce skin-on fillets salmon or Arctic char
1 tablespoon avocado oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Scant 1/2 cup Japanese mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie (see Cook's Note)
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha (2 1/2 tablespoons)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain rice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Kosher salt
Cooking spray, for greasing
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (1 1/2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons furikake (2 1/2 tablespoons)
Roasted nori snack sheets, for serving

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
For the salmon layer: Place the fillets, skin-side down, on the prepared sheet. Drizzle with the avocado oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the fillets look opaque and flake easily, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Slide a spatula under the fillets but over the skin, leaving the skin on the baking sheet. Transfer the fillets to a large bowl and flake with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, sriracha, scallions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and thoroughly mix. Set aside until ready to use.
For the sushi rice: Rinse the uncooked rice in 3 to 4 changes of water, pouring off the cloudy water each time. Drain well and transfer to a rice cooker. Add 3 1/2 cups water and cook the rice according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Alternatively, add the rinsed and drained rice to a medium pot with 3 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 10 minutes.)
Meanwhile, whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl until the sugar and salt dissolve. When the rice is finished cooking but still hot, pour over the rice vinegar mixture and lightly mix with a rice paddle.
For the sushi bake: Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Layer in the sushi rice and lightly flatten with the rice paddle. Top with the spicy mayo salmon mixture. Whisk together the mirin, tamari and sesame oil in a small bowl, then pour on top of the sushi bake, rotating the baking dish to make sure the entire surface is covered with the tamari mixture.
Top with the furikake and bake until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with roasted nori snack sheets for scooping.