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Recipe Detail Page
Sushi Cake Squares
Summer 2018
No sushi-making skills required to create these cute layered squares! Use crab in place of shrimp if you like, and garnish the top with whole shrimp or sliced green onion, sprouts, fresh herbs and wasabi paste just before serving.
Makes 16 squares
3 cups (750 mL) sushi rice
4 cups (1 L) water
¼ cup (60 mL) seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar
2 sheets of roasted nori
2 tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise
9 to 10 oz (255 to 285 g) peeled cooked shrimp, roughly chopped
½ cup (125 mL) thinly sliced green onion
3 tbsp (45 mL) pickled ginger
2 ripe avocados
1/3 lb (150 g) sliced smoked wild salmon
Whole shrimp or sprouts, pea shoots, sliced green onion, wasabi paste, for garnish
1. Place rice in a bowl, then rinse with several changes of cold water until clear. Drain rice and combine with 4 cups (1 L) water in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Do not stir. Remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Turn into a large bowl. Don’t scrape out any hard rice in the bottom. In a small bowl, stir vinegar with sugar until dissolved. While stirring rice, slowly add vinegar mixture. Cover dish with a wet cloth and let stand until cooled off.
2. Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square pan with a long piece of plastic wrap so ends hang over the edges on 2 sides. Add a second piece going in the opposite direction with ends hanging over the edges on other 2 sides. Lay a sheet of nori in the bottom. Spoon 3 cups (750 mL) rice into the pan. Lay a piece of plastic wrap overtop. Smooth out and gently press down to roughly smooth surface. Remove wrap.
3. Spread mayonnaise over the rice. Stir shrimp with green onions. Roughly spread over rice. Using moistened hands, scatter 2 cups (500 mL) rice over the shrimp. Thinly shred pickled ginger and scatter overtop.
4. Scatter with another cup (250 mL) of rice. Place a sheet of nori on top. Gently press down. Add 2 cups (500 mL) rice. Lay a piece of plastic wrap overtop. Smooth out and gently press down. Remove wrap.
5. Cut avocados into ½-inch (1-cm) wedges. Arrange over the rice, cutting to fit and covering as much as possible. Lay smoked salmon over the avocado. Top with a final layer of 3 cups (750 mL) rice. Cover with a large piece of plastic wrap. Smooth out and gently press down. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. To remove cake from the pan, flip cake over onto a larger plate. Remove pan and the overlapping pieces of plastic wrap. Flip the cake over again onto a larger plate so the nori sheet is on the bottom. Remove plastic wrap. Slice into squares or triangles and garnish with whole shrimp or sprouts, pea shoots, sliced green onion, etc. Keep refrigerated.
Makes 16 squares
