Have there always been food trends, or is that a product of Instagram and TikTok? While ramen, birria, dumplings, and hot chicken have taken over cities from coast to coast, home chefs have been whipping up sourdough, baked feta, marry me chicken (or shrimp or pasta), and homemade crunch wraps in recent years. For the past few months, the trend I keep seeing everywhere (and ordering when it's an option!) is crispy rice.
What is crispy rice?
Crispy rice is exactly what it sounds like — and probably way more enjoyable than you're imagining if you haven't tried it. It could be a fried hunk (think a square that's half an inch thick and an inch long) topped with something dreamy, or it could be loose rice baked on a sheet pan to throw into a loaded salad. I love both equally!
If you haven't tried crispy rice yet, I encourage you to do so ASAP. Lots of sushi joints have at least one variety on the menu, and there are tonsss of recipes floating around the internet.
Crispy rice for Valentine's Day
Even though it was my first go at making a crispy rice sushi app at home, I decided to up the stakes and make heart-shaped rice patties. Happy to report that it worked (to varying degrees of success)! Here's the process:
Make sushi rice according to the package directions. I added 2 cups rice, 2 1/4 cups water, and a little bit of salt to a saucepan. I brought it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then immediately turned the burner down to low, covered it with a lid, and cooked it for 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove saucepan from the burner. Allow it to cool for an hour or two.
Transfer rice into a plastic-wrapped lined baking pan or aluminum foil pan(s) (no plastic wrap required). Pack it down firmly and evenly. Thickness should be half an inch to an inch. I used four aluminum foil pans.
Cover and freeze for at least one hour (overnight works, too).
Once the rice is firm, remove it from the freezer and transfer the rice to a cutting board. Working one at a time, I dumped my aluminum pans over and the rice slid right out.
Use a cookie cutter to cut heart shapes out of the rice. The two and a half inch heart size worked best for me.
The rest of the recipe moves pretty quickly once you've made your hearts. Keep in mind that if you don't plan to drop the cutouts into your frying oil soon after cutting them out, you're better off putting them back into the freezer until you're ready. The hearts keep their shape better in the oil if they're slightly frozen.
Now for the topping! I chose sushi-grade salmon for my crispy rice apps, but sushi-grade tuna would work just as well. Here's the complete recipe.
Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice
Ingredients for crispy rice hearts
Sushi rice
Water
Salt
Avocado oil
Ingredients for spicy salmon
1/4 cup good quality mayo
Sriracha, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt, to taste
8 oz sushi-grade salmon, chopped well
Toppings
Chives, finely chopped
Jalapenos, thinly sliced
Avocado, thinly sliced
Sprouts (optional)
Directions
Cook sushi rice according to package directions. Cool on stovetop, then freeze in aluminum foil baking pan in a well-packed one-inch layer. Use multiple baking pans if needed.
Remove rice from freezer. Dump pan upside down onto cutting board. Use a cookie cutter to cut the sheet of rice into hearts.
Heat avocado oil over medium in a deep skillet. Oil should be around half an inch deep. Oil is read if you dip a chopstick in it and bubbles form around it. Oil is too hot if the entire surface is boiling.
Place rice hearts into oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, until the edges are golden.
Transfer cooked hearts onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat until you've used all the rice.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine mayo, sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add salmon and mix well to coat.
Top each heart with spicy salmon mixture. A quarter- to half-inch smear works well.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Finish with sriracha and a jalapeno slice for an extra kick. Garnish with sprouts.
Serve immediately to your loved ones — or hoard them all for yourself! I'd completely understand. Happy Valentine's! xoxo
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