spice salmon krispy rice

Krispy Rice, the sushi-baby brainchild of the people behind Katsuya (one of our favorite Japanese spots), has been a delivery godsend in L.A. I had been eating the stuff for a while when I did what any admirer worth her wasabi would do—I slid into their DMs. Eventually they came to teach our Covid-year school pod and our verrry confused preschoolers how to make a perfect roll of sushi. I was on bedrest when it happened, but I kept hearing total glorious chaos erupting downstairs. The photos poured in and my jealousy/FOMO raged…until pure deliciousness, in the form of a little block of crispy (er, KRISPY) rice blanketed in the creamiest, spiciest salmon of all time, was hand-delivered straight to my mouth. We managed to drag Chef Lester back to the office to teach us how to make these babies, and now YOU can have the most divine bite of your life any time you want. Thank you for sharing your secrets, Krispy Rice! We love you! *These tiny red fish eggs are the same ones that make your sushi look so pretty! If you can’t find masago in a store, include an order of red tobiko sushi in your next delivery order, then scrape it off and use it here. You can also use ikura (salmon roe) and you can also skip it altogether!

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Step 1

1MAKE THE RICE: Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and microwave until the sugar is dissolved, 30 to 45 seconds.

Step 2

2 Place the rice in a colander and run under cold running water until the starch is rinsed away and the water runs clear, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 20 minutes.

Step 3

3 Drain the rice well, place in a small saucepan, cover with the 1¼ cups water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to a very low simmer, and cook until all the water is absorbed, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl to cool for a few minutes, then gently stir in the vinegar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time until absorbed. Gently press plastic wrap onto the surface of the rice and let the rice hang out while you make the salmon.

Step 4

4MAKE THE SALMON: In a small bowl, combine the mayo, Sriracha, 1 teaspoon of the chili oil, the sugar, miso, and ponzu.

Step 5

5 In a medium bowl, gently combine the salmon with 2 tablespoons of the mayo mixture (save the rest for sandwiches, as a sauce for tempura, or for this recipe when you make it again), sesame oil, masago, remaining ½ teaspoon chili oil, and the 2 teaspoons scallion greens. Season to taste with salt and refrigerate while you crisp the rice.

Step 6

6MAKE THE KRISPY RICE: Using lightly oiled hands, measure 2½ tablespoons rice and form it into a 2 × 1-inch rectangle ½ inch thick and arrange on a lightly oiled plate. Repeat with the remaining rice to yield about 15 rice blocks. Heat the ¼ cup oil in a 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the rice blocks to the skillet and cook, sliding the blocks around occasionally to brown evenly, until the undersides are crisp and golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Don’t flip them! Drain them on paper towels and repeat with the remaining rice blocks.

Step 7

7 Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the spicy salmon mixture on the untoasted side of each rice block, molding it to fit the shape of the rice. Garnish with more sliced scallion greens.