Crabmeat and Avocado Pressed Sushi with Wasabi Mayonnaise

These dressy-looking little pieces of easy-to-do, four-ingredient pressed sushi are perfect appetizers for a cocktail party, wedding shower, or anyother dressy occasion.

We hear from beginners all the time how easy it is to make pressed sushi.

You can’t mess up the shape because the mold does that work for you.

Special sushi tools: Sushi mold that makes 5 pieces Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus 11⁄2 hours to prepare the sushi rice

Yield: 20 pieces

4 cups prepared sushi rice

1⁄4 cup Wasabi Mayonnaise

1 large avocado or 2 smaller avocados,firm but ripe, thinly sliced lengthwise

4 ounces cooked, shredded crabmeat, or 4 ounces shredded kani kama (imitationcrabmeat)

Garnishes: cilantro leaves, thin roundslices of jalapeño pepper, lemon wedges

Method

1. Wipe all three parts of the sushi mold with a damp towel. Using damp fingertips, pick up and spread about 1⁄2 cup (about 3 ounces) of the sushi rice evenly across the bottom of the mold. Press down with the lid (referto Figure 6-9 in Chapter 6).

2. Remove the lid and wipe it off with a damp towel. Dab one-eighth of the Wasabi Mayonnaise on the rice and then top the seasoned rice with an even layer of the avocado, dark green edges facing out. Spread another 1⁄2 cup of the sushi rice evenly over the avocados. Press down with the lid.

3. Dab another one-eighth of the Wasabi Mayonnaise on the rice. Finish the mold with one-fourth of the shredded crabmeat or kani kama. Press down with the lid a final time.

4. Remove the lid. Using the knife guides on the mold, partially slice the sushi into 5 pieces, wiping your knife on a damp paper towel before each slice to prevent tearing the slices apart.

5. Unmold the sushi by pressing down with the lid while pulling up on its sides. Finish slicing the sushi pieces apart, again wiping your knife on a damp paper towel before each slice. Top each piece of sushi with a cilantro leaf or a thin round slice of jalapeño pepper. Make 3 more pressed sushi the same way. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Vary It! Alternate the fillings, making two of the pressed sushi with crabmeat on top and two with avocado on top. Tip: Lining the mold with plastic wrap makes removing the pressed sushi easier for some people.

Wasabi Mayonnaise

Yield: 1⁄4 cup

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon wasabi paste, or to taste

Stir the mayonnaise and wasabi paste together until well blended. Use right away or refrigerate several hours until needed.

Per piece: Calories 92 (From Fat 35); Fat 4g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 7mg; Sodium 76mg;Carbohydrate 12g Protein 2g.

“Excerpt from Shushi for Dummies byludi Strada and Mineko Takane Moreno provided with permission by John Wiley & Sons. Available wherever books are sold.”