If you think sushi is an art form, you should try sushi towers. Not only is sushi towers absolute show stoppers on a plate, but they’re also simple and easy to make for a weeknight. So now you can make your favorite sushi in your home without requiring any rolling skills.
Sushi towers spin a beautiful tweak to your regular sushi. Instead of rolling your ingredients, you stack up the elements one above the other.
Like traditional sushi, the key to a beautiful sushi tower is the fresh ingredients. So ensure that your fish is fresh and of sushi-grade.
Sushi towers are pretty versatile. It can make a fulfilling meal on its own on a tiring day. Or serve it as an appetizer to your guests.
Ahi Tuna Sushi Tower
Tuna is by far the most preferred protein in sushi, particularly the Bluefin Tuna. Firstly, the bluefin is considered the tastiest fish to consume raw. This is because the fat and protein content in the fish is perfectly balanced. And it melts beautifully in the mouth when served in sushi and sashimi.
Ingredients
- Sushi rice – ½ cup (cooked)
- Sashimi-grade tuna – 3 oz
- Crabmeat – ⅔ cup chopped
- Avocado – 1 (finely chopped)
- Sesame oil – ½ tsp
- Mayonnaise – 1 tbsp
- Sriracha – 1 tsp
- Tamari – 1 tsp
- Eel Sauce
- Ponzu sauce
Recipe
- Cook the sushi rice as per directions on the package.
- Chop your tuna, nice and small. Add tamari and sesame oil and give it a good mix. The combination imparts flavor to the fish.
- Take a small bowl and mix mayo and sriracha.
- Mix the spicy mayo with the crab meat. Add a drizzle of ponzu sauce as well.
- Use a sushi tower kit or a container that’s open at both ends.
- Grease the inside of the container so that the contents slide down with ease when removed.
How to Make Sushi Tower
- Place the container on the plate and pack it with rice tightly to form a solid base.
- Top it with crab mix and then avocado, packing each layer with a spoon individually.
- Finally, add the tuna at the top and press it down gently.
- Remove the container gently. Lift it about 1 inch and push the contents gently from the top. Keep repeating slowly until all the layers are out of the container.
- Serve it with the leftover mayo, ponzu sauce, and eel sauce all over the completed creation.
Tip
- Increase or decrease the sriracha depending on your tolerance to heat.
- If you are looking for something fancy, top your sushi tower Masago, orange segments, and black caviar beads.
- This recipe uses less mayonnaise, but if you are not watching your weight, you may want to add more to ensure a solid base.
- We are making a pretty sizable tower, but you can use smaller molds depending on your preference.
- If raw tuna is not your thing, you can use canned tuna or smoked tuna. However, you will lose the beautiful flavor profile of raw tuna.
Spicy Salmon Sushi Tower
Next to tuna, salmon is the most preferred fish for Sushi. Though a late introduction in the sushi scene, it now occupies a top place right there with tuna.
The salmon sushi tower is quite versatile and healthy to boot. Though we have a cooked version of salmon, you can also add in a sushi-grade raw salmon. In the same way, you can replace sushi rice with brown rice.
Ingredients
- Cooked Sushi Rice – 2 Cups (⅔ cup uncooked rice)
- Salmon – 1 oz
- Cucumber – 1 cup (peeled and diced)
- Avocado – 1 (mashed)
- Lime Juice – 1 tbsp
- Mayonnaise – 2 Tbsp
- Sriracha
- Furikake – 1 tsp
For the Salmon
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp
- Fresh ginger – 1 tsp minced
- Garlic clove – 1 minced
- Salt
Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 375°.
- Drizzle olive oil over the salmon and pat it with ginger and garlic.
- Add salt for seasoning and place it in the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake it for 12-15 minutes. The salmon should flake effortlessly.
- Use a fork to flake it and set it aside in a refrigerator.
- Cook the rice as per the directions mentioned.
- Combine the cucumber, avocado, and lime juice. Set aside until you assemble the sushi tower.
- Mix the mayonnaise with ½ tsp sriracha. You can increase or decrease the sriracha depending on your preferred spice level. Add salmon and combine well.
How to Make Sushi Tower
- Place your ring mold on the plate. Add the rice as the first layer and pat it down firmly.
- For the next layer, add the avocado-cucumber mixture. Use a spoon to pat it down.
- Finally, add the cooked salmon until it reaches the top of the rings.
- Sprinkle the Furikake on the top of the salmon.
- Remove the rings slowly to serve.
Tips
- Use wet fingers to pat down the rice. This prevents the rice from sticking to your fingers, and the process is much easier.
- The rice should be ⅓ of the ring height.
- Coat the rings or mold with oil. It makes it easy to remove the mold.
What is a Sushi Tower?
Unlike your traditional sushi, a sushi tower is where you arrange your sushi in stacks. The ingredients are pressed down to retain the shape when the casing is removed.
Typically, a sushi tower starts with rice at the very base. The rice is cooked with sugar and rice vinegar to increase the stickiness. The stickiness allows it to be packed tightly hence retaining the shape.
On the other hand, the rest of the ingredients can be varied, from vegetables and fish to even meat and sometimes fruits. In addition, you can use different cutting methods like slice, cube, julienne, cut, chop, and many more.
You can skip the sauce and opt for clean and fresh flavors. Or use sriracha and mayo for that creamy texture. Add or cut ingredients depending on what takes your fancy. And also play around with the meat.
Sushi Tower Kit
Sushi tower is versatile not only in flavor profile and ingredients but also in the equipment. It requires a ring mold, cookie mold, or any open-ended container. However, if you are looking for something fancy, you can purchase a sushi tower kit. (We haven’t used any in our recipes.) You can make ordinary sushi look like a gourmet dish with a kit.
The sushi tower kit is a stainless steel tube with a stomper. You can layer your ingredients and use the stomper to pack them down so that it remains in place when you remove the mold.
Alternatively, you can also use a cup. Pack the ingredients upside down with the rice on the very top. Flip it over a plate and tap the cup at the base. And remove it slowly.
Can I Make These Ahead of Time?
You can chop, cook and prepare the individual ingredients ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. Then, arrange the sushi tower when it is time to serve.
Keep in mind that raw fish stays fresh for 1 or 2 days maximum and not more than that. So, you need to plan your meals as such. Any more than that, we suggest you freeze it and thaw it in time for your sushi.
