The sushi bowl strikes again! This time with spicy fried chicken and sharp avocado cream. Here, I’ve partnered with the lovely people at Bostock’s Organic who produce my favourite chicken which is organic, antibiotic-free and grown naturally equalling happy hens and superior tasting meat.
Although this looks detailed, the steps are actually fairly simple but may be it’s best left for a weekend so you can slow down and enjoy the process.
Sushi bowls are much easier than sushi as there’s no rolling involved and you can get more creative with toppings (hello leftovers) as you’re not limited to options that roll up well. Best of all, these fresh and hearty bowls will keep you fueled for hours. Enjoy x
Serves 4
Chicken
1.5 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp wasabi paste
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1.5 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sea salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
Peanut oil, for frying
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs (I used Bostock’s Orgainc)
Wasabi Avocado
1 avocado
1 tsp wasabi paste
1/4 cup greek yoghurt
Handful corriander
Juice of a lime
Sushi Dressing
1/2 cup rice vinegar
4 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cups brown sushi rice, rinsed
To serve
Wasabi and Kewpie mayonnaise
Pickled ginger
Soy sauce or tamari
For the chicken, mix the buttermilk, wasabi paste and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add to the buttermilk mix. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.
Meanwhile, make the wasabi avocado by adding all ingredients to a food processor and blitzing until smooth. Set aside in the
fridge until ready to use.
For the dressing, mix vinegar, coconut sugar, salt and sesame oil in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until hot and sugar has dissolved. Cool and set aside until ready to use.
Combine rice and 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil in an uncovered pot. Cover, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until tender. Turn off heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Spoon over sushi dressing and fold gently with a large spoon to combine.
To fry the chicken, heat enough oil to fill two-thirds of a large pot over medium heat until the temperature reaches 180°C on a deep-frying thermometer.
While the oil is heating, place the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper and paprika on a large tray and toss to combine.
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess liquid to drip off. Place on the tray with the flour mixture and toss to coat evenly.
Deep-fry the chicken, in batches, for 5–6 minutes or until crisp, golden and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel then slice chicken into strips once rested 5-10 minutes.
Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with chicken, avocado cream, Kewpie mayonnaise, pickled ginger and a drizzle of soy sauce.
Gretchen Lowe, Food Stylist Auckland
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