Ceviche Crispy Rice

I’ve said this before: crispy rice should not simply be limited to spicy tuna or salmon. It should be looked at as a texturally enhancing blank slate for anything that can be thrown on top of. I thought it was only fitting to include a crispy rice dish in my 3-part Fusion Foods series. For this dish I combined Japanese-American crispy rice with the one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, ceviche. The dish is pretty similar to the more traditional spicy tuna crispy rice, but the Leche de Tigre in the ceviche gives you an uppercut of brightness and acidity. It’s a lighter version of a dish we all love that definitely does not skimp out on flavors.

Recipe

Serves 1

Crispy Rice

• 1 c sushi rice
• 1 c water
• 4-inch sheet of kombu
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

• Rinse and drain rice, repeating until water runs clear
• Let rice sit in water for 20 minutes
• Drain one last time, fill up with 1 c water, and set over stove on high. Once water comes to a boil, stir rice, add sheet of kombu. Cover with top, and simmer for 20 minutes
• Meanwhile, over low heat, add rice vinegar, sugar, and salt to a saucepan, stirring until dissolved.
• Once rice is cooked, stream in seasoned rice vinegar, gently folding the rice without smooshing. Cool the rice for about 20 min.
• Line a tray with plastic wrap, fill tray with rice. Tightly pack to about 1.25 inch thick. Let sit in fridge for 4 hours.
• Take rice out of the fridge and cut into desired shape. Heat oil to 375 and fry until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towel and immediately hit with a bit of salt.

Ceviche

• 12 oz red snapper
• 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 fresno chili
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice of 4 limes
• 4 tbsp chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Get started on the Leche de Tigre. Throw all ingredients (using half of the specified amounts for red onion and cilantro) into a blender. Blend for 30 seconds then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Set aside.
2. Cut red snapper (or substituted protein of choice) into 1 cm cubes. Combine in a mixing bowl with the the Leche de Tigre, along with other half of both the cilantro and red onion.
3. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour for the acid to properly “cook” the fish.