Chicken Karaage Sushi Rolls with Wasabi Mayo

Serves 4

Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Karaage

400g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm pieces

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sake (optional)

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp plain flour

Oil, for deep frying

Sushi Rice

300g sushi rice

400ml water

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp caster sugar

½ tsp sea salt

To Assemble

4 nori sheets

1 small cucumber, cut into thin strips

1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 avocado, sliced

Wasabi Mayo

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1–2 tsp wasabi paste (to taste)

Method

Rinse the sushi rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well, then add to a saucepan with 400ml water. Bring to the boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 12 minutes, then remove from heat and rest (still covered) for 10 minutes. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved, then gently fold through the warm rice. Cool to room temperature.

For the chicken karaage, add cornflour and plain flour to the chicken. Add soy sauce, sake, ginger and garlic, and combine. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Fry in hot oil at 170°C for 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel or drying rack and season lightly with sea salt.

For the wasabi mayo, stir together mayonnaise, and wasabi paste.

To assemble, place a nori sheet shiny-side down on a bamboo sushi mat. Spread a thin, even layer of rice over two-thirds of the sheet, leaving a strip bare at the top edge. Arrange some chicken karaage pieces, cucumber, carrot and avocado across the centre. Roll tightly from the filled end, using gentle pressure to seal the edge with a little water. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Slice each roll into 6–8 pieces with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve with wasabi mayo for dipping.