Equipment
Ingredients
Sushi Rice Base
- 150 g short grain sushi rice, uncooked
- 200 ml water, filtered, cold
- 30 ml rice vinegar, unseasoned
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 5 g kosher salt
Spicy Mayo
- 30 g mayonnaise, dairy-free or kewpie style
- 15 g sriracha
- 5 ml mirin
Proteins and Produce
- 120 g smoked salmon, lox style, thinly sliced
- 100 g english cucumber, diced
- 50 g pickled red onion, drained
Garnishes
- 10 g everything bagel seasoning
- 5 g cilantro, fresh leaves roughly chopped
- 2 g nori seaweed, cut into thin strips
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 296 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 2332 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 290 mg
- Calcium
- 67 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 48 mg
- Phosphorus
- 126 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 20 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 20 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 224 g
- Alcohol
- 12 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the short grain sushi rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water, massaging gently, until the water runs completely clear. Drain well for 10 minutes.
Combine the rinsed rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil at 100°C/212°F over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to the lowest setting, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes to finish steaming.
While the rice rests, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds or stir vigorously until the solids are completely dissolved to create sushi vinegar.
Transfer the hot rice to a large wide bowl. Pour the sushi vinegar evenly over the rice. Use a rice paddle to gently slice and fold the rice, being careful not to mash the grains, while fanning it to cool the rice to body temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, and mirin until a smooth, uniform sauce forms.
Divide the seasoned sushi rice evenly between two serving bowls. Drape the thinly sliced smoked salmon over one half of the rice.
Arrange the diced cucumber and pickled red onions next to the salmon. Drizzle the spicy mayo over the top, then garnish with everything bagel seasoning, cilantro leaves, and nori strips. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Washing the short grain rice until the water runs clear is a non-negotiable step for achieving separate, glossy grains rather than a dense paste.
- When folding the vinegar into the rice, use a slicing motion with the edge of the paddle rather than stirring in circles. This preserves the structural integrity of the individual grains.
- While cold-smoked salmon provides the traditional lox texture, a homemade gravlax cured with dill and citrus zest works beautifully in this application.
- Everything bagel seasoning adds the essential crunch and allium punch characteristic of the classic Jewish deli experience, bridging the gap between the two culinary traditions.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Keep components separate if possible; rice will harden when refrigerated.
Troubleshooting
Gummy or mushy rice
Cause: Rice was not rinsed thoroughly enough, or too much water was used during cooking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed as sushi rice, but can be repurposed into congee or porridge.
Prevention: Rinse rice until water is perfectly clear to remove excess surface starch, and measure water accurately by weight or volume.
Sushi vinegar pools at the bottom of the bowl
Cause: Vinegar was added when the rice was too cold, preventing absorption.
Fix: Gently fold a few more times and let sit for 5 minutes, though texture may be slightly compromised.
Prevention: Always fold the vinegar mixture into the rice immediately after the 10-minute resting period while the grains are still hot.
Cultural Context
This dish bridges the iconic Jewish-American bagel and lox breakfast with the traditional Japanese chirashizushi, which translates to scattered sushi. It celebrates the shared reverence both cultures have for high-quality cured and raw fish preparations. By swapping the dense bagel for delicately seasoned sushi rice, it creates a lighter but deeply satisfying and culturally resonant meal.
