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Aug 31, 2021

Red Dragon Roll


While many Dragon Roll recipes call for Unagi, Fresh Water Eel, most of the Red Dragon Rolls are missing Unagi. Another ingredient missing from Red Dragon Roll is the eel sauce as it has spicy tuna on top. If you like that sweet BBQ eel sauce on your roll, sure, it’s perfectly Ok to pour some of that. However, my recommendation is to use mayo or cream based cause for spicy tuna, perhaps simple ponzu or citrus sauce just might do it.


Red Dragon roll will require the making of shrimp tempura, so it will take more time to prep and make. If making shrimp tempura is too much of a task, you can substitute it with pre-fried shrimp tempura found in a frozen food section at your supermarket. Just microwave or in an oven for a few minutes, and you will have a tempura shrimp ready to be rolled!



TIPS


Scrape tuna

Never chop your tuna. Chopping tuna with the knife will make it taste bland.

I don’t know why (meaning the scientific reason behind this), but tuna tastes good when it’s chunky. This is the reason why tuna sashimi is normally cut thicker than other fish. When making spicy tuna, make sure to scrape with a spoon.


Tempura Batter

Make “egg water” first. When you make egg water, make sure to pour water in a bowl first, then add the egg. If place the egg in the bowl, and add water, it will produce undissolved egg white.


Cold water vs. Normal water?

Many recipes call for ice cold water or add water to the tempura batter. The verdict, according to the Michelin stared Japanese tempura chef, there is no need to use ice cold water. “It will only make it difficult to fry because it will create more temperature difference between the batter and the oil.”


Ingredients (for one roll):


Roll

  • ½ (200g) cup Sushi Rice

  • 1 Nori Seaweed, half sheet

  • 1/4 oz. (7g) Sesame Seeds, Roasted (white or black)


Spicy Tuna

  • ¼ lbs. (100g) Tuna Pieces, Sushi Grade

  • 1 tbl (15ml.) Sriracha (or hot sauce of your choice)

  • 1 tbl (15ml.) Mayo

  • Dash Sesame Oil (substitute with Olive Oil)

  • ¼ oz. (7g) Scallions, Thinly cut


Shrimp Tempura

  • 2pcs Shrimp, 21/26 size

  • 1 egg

  • 3 oz. (100 g) Flour

  • 1.5 cups (360 cc) water

  • Rice Bran Oil (or Canola Oil)

  • Sesame Oil


Tolls:

  • Cutting Board

  • Knife

  • Large Spoon

  • Makisu, Sushi Rolling Mat

  • Plastic Wrap

  • Small sheet pans (or plate)

  • Small Bowl

  • Whisk

  • Frying pan

  • Tong or Long Wood Cooking Chopsticks

  • Toothpick

Instructions:

Make Sushi rice (follow this recipe)


Spicy tuna

  1. Scrape tuna with a spoon. Never chop the tuna with your knife, as chopping will the texture mushy and make the tuna flavor go away. Mix scraped tuna with Sriracha, Mayo, Sesame Oil and chopping scallions in a bowl.


Shrimp Tempura

  1. Make “egg water.” In a small bowl, pour 1.5 cups of water first, then egg.

  2. Egg white is water soluble, so when you place it egg in the water, egg white will dissolve first, then egg yolk. When you beat egg in a bowl first and then add water, some of the egg white will sit at the bottom of the bowl, undissolved.

  3. Strain 2 oz. of flour into a bowl, add 2 oz. egg water (egg water: flour = 1:1)

  4. In a frying pan, pour rice bran (or canola) oil and Sesame Oil to 1 – 1 ¼ inch deep. The ratio of Rice Bran Oil: Sesame Oil is 1:1.


Prepare shrimp

  1. Remove the shell. Cut the back side of the shrimp, remove and discard the vein. Score the inner part of the shrimp with a knife by cutting halfway into the meat. Place the shrimp on the cutting board, press firmly with your fingers to detach the tendon. When you press the shrimp, it should make a breaking sound.


Frying Shrimp

  1. Place flour in a sheet pan. Place prepared shrimp in a sheet pan, coat with flour. Life up the shrimp, shake to remove the excess flour.

  2. Hold the tail and dip the shrimp into tempura batter. Life up, hold it for three to five seconds to remove the excess batter.

  3. Place the batter coated shrimp into the oil 375F (190C). Fry for one to two minutes until light yellow. Remove from the oil, let the shrimp sit on paper towel.


Make A Roll

  1. Place nori, shiny side down

  2. Wet your hands with water

  3. Grab a tennis-ball-size amount of sushi rice

  4. Cover the entire nori surface with rice (place rice on the top left corner, cover top half first, then bottom)

  5. Sprinkle sesame seeds

  6. Flip it over so that rice is facing up, nori side down

  7. Place two pieces of shrimp tempura and avocado in the center

  8. Roll from the bottom up, place plastic wrap on top of a roll (rice) use a bamboo mat to seal.

  9. Remove the plastic, place spicy tuna on top of the roll.

  10. Place the plastic one more time, followed by the rolling mat.

  11. Cut into 8 pcs (keep doing halves) with plastic still on (helps to keep the spicy tuna from falling off)

  12. Sprinkle slices scallions.

  13. Plate and serve

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