Game Day Knosh - Bang Bang Sushi on Crispy Rice Cakes

Game day has a way of demanding food that crunches loud enough to compete with the crowd noise. Enter bang bang sushi on crispy rice cakes. It’s sushi’s fun cousin who shows up in sneakers, brings the good drinks, and never asks for chopsticks.

This dish started as a craving rather than a plan. I wanted sushi flavors without committing to rolling mats and perfect geometry. Crispy rice was the loophole. Sushi rice (leftover if you have any!) pressed into little pieces, pan-fried until the edges sing, suddenly becomes a sturdy stage for all the drama that follows.

The fish is flexible – I used some ahi and some smoked salmon, but you can use cooked shrimp, crab or any firmer fish. No rules, only vibes.

These land on the platter looking like sushi that went to culinary school and then dropped out to start a band. Handheld, indulgent, impossible to eat quietly. Exactly what game day food should be.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup short grain white rice, often called “sushi rice”

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp black or rice vinegar

Toasted sesame oil and any oil spray

4 oz. smoked salmon

3 ounces ahi tuna

¼ cup Kewpie mayonnaise

1 tbsp black or rice vinegar

1 tsp sweet chili sauce

1 tsp Sriracha

1 large clove, minced

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp ketchup

1 avocado sliced

Sprinkle Furikake or toasted sesame seeds, optional

METHOD

Cut the salmon and tuna into small cubes. Add all the ingredients listed under the fish except the avocado and Furikake. Mix well, cover and refrigerate.

Rinse the rice 3-4 times until the water runs mostly clear.

Once the rice is cooked, while still hot, gently mix the rice grains with soy sauce, vinegar, and 2 tsp. of sesame oil.

Line a generous sized single layer of food cling wrap inside of an 8” by 8” square shaped baking dish or a container with a flat bottom. I don’t have a square one so I used a round quiche pan. This will be the mold to shape the sushi base.

Add the rice to the container and press it down firmly using a rice paddle or the back of a spoon. Shape it as flat and even as possible, aiming for about a little thicker than ½ inch. Pay extra attention to the corners and edges—these are the areas most likely to fall apart.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Slice the rice block into roughly 8-10 equally sized pieces. You can dip the knife in a bowl of water to help with slicing.

To air Fry: Preheat your air fryer. Spray the fryer basket with oil. Spray the rice sushi pieces with another thin layer of oil then place the oiled-side down into the basket. Leave some space between the pieces. Air fry at 380 for 8 minutes. Spray another thin layer of oil and carefully flip them to air fry for another 8 additional minutes. The rice sushi should come out golden and a little crispy. Cool them down over a baking rack.

To pan fry: Preheat a frying skillet over medium heat until it feels quite warm. Add 3-4 tbsp oil. Add the rice sushi squares. Leave some space between each piece. Pan fry for 4 minutes or until you see the bottom turns golden brown then flip to cook another 3-4 minutes. Add more oil, if needed. The texture should be crispy golden outside and soft and little chewy inside. Cool them down over a baking rack.

Layer the rice sushi pieces with a thin layer of avocado, then the fish mixture. Finish with chive and furikake, if using. Serve immediately.

By the time kickoff hits, the platter is lighter than you expected and you’re already mentally bookmarking this as a repeat performance. Sushi night just learned how to tailgate. Too bad it’s not at an Eagles game.