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Masaharu Morimoto

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Chef Morimoto will be appearing at the National Restaurant Association Show, the industry’s largest trade show – the show is closed to the public.

https://show.restaurant.org/

Recipe:

Spicy Tuna Maki

Bamboo rolling mat

½ sheet sushi nori

2 T black and white sesame seeds, toasted

1/3 C seasoned sushi rice

1 tsp spicy mayo

1 ½ tsp thinly sliced green onion

2 strips bigeye tuna cut into pieces

 

  1. Place sushi rice on nori in a thin even layer.
  2. Sprinkle sesame evenly onto rice and flip over rice side down.
  3. Put spicy mayo in a thin line in the middle of the nori.
  4. Place tuna onto line of mayo and spread scallions evenly along side tuna.
  5. Using slightly wet hands, roll nori around ingredients.
  6. place the bamboo rolling mat centered on top of roll and apply gentle pressure on sides and top.
  7. Using wet knife cut roll into 6 even pieces.

 

Chef Morimoto’s spicy mayo recipe (from Chef’s book, Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking)

 

  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon tobanjan (chili bean sauce), preferably a Japanese brand
  • 1/2  teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2  teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2  teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Combine the mayonnaise, tobanjan, sesame oil, lemon juice, and lime juice in a small bowl and stir well.

It keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

 

Tekka Don No Poke (Hawaiian poke-style Tuna Rice Bowl)

 Once you secure sushi-grade tuna, this meal in a bowl takes almost no effort to make. I upgrade the typical tekka don – sliced raw tuna, often briefly marinated in soy sauce – by merging it with the Hawaiian dish tuna poke (pronounced PO-kay), which I fell for while opening my restaurant in Waikiki. The cubes of luscious crimson fish dressed with a little salt, sugar, and spice taste great over wonderfully plain white rice or less traditional but no less delicious sushi rice.

 

Serves 4

¼ cup Japanese soy sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mirin (sweet rice wine)

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 to 2 teaspoons tobanjan (chile bean sauce), preferably a Japanese brand

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 pound sushi-grade tuna, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ medium Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, cut into ½-pieces

6 cups short-grain white rice or cooked, vinegared short-grain white rice, warm

¾ cup thinly sliced fresh shiso leaves (also called Japanese mint and perilla) or scallion greens

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

 

Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, tobanjan, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the tuna and avocado to the bowl, toss well, and set aside to marinate for a few minutes but no more than 5 minutes.

Divide the rice amount 4 wide bowls. Top each bowl with the tuna and avocado, leaving the sauce behind. Then drizzle the sauce over the tuna and avocado. Tear the nori into small pieces and scatter some over each bowl; top with the shiso and sesame seeds. Eat right away.