I stumbled across a sushi bake not too long ago. I guess it’s one of those newish fads… or maybe it’s an old fad now? I don’t know. Either way, it was something I wanted to try. I mean, easy sushi at home? Yes please!
I’m going to warn you up front that this is not for everyone, and I’m going to lay it all out here! The good, the bad, the ugly. Well, maybe not so much ugly (although arguably my photos are kinda ugly 😂). Really more the good and the bad!
First, I have to argue that what every other blog posts as a sushi bake is bullshit. Pardon the French. But, the only thing resembling sushi is the sushi rice and imitation crab… which, personally, I am not a big fan of… imitation crab, that is. I find the texture weird 😝. BUT, NONE of these recipes actually have raw fish! What kind of “sushi” bake is that???
So, obvs, the first thing I made sure to include in my recipe is sushi grade fish. This is a true sushi bake… don’t worry, the fish isn’t baked!! But that’s why you have to get sushi grade fish. I don’t want to hear horror stories of food poisoning! The other thing I changed was using real crab meat rather than imitation crab meat. This swap is totally up to you. I opt for fresh canned crab claw meat, which is the cheapest fresh option.
I was able to find kewpie ~ Japanese mayonnaise ~ at my local grocery store. If you can’t find it, just use your normal, run of the mill mayonnaise. Honestly, you won’t notice the difference. So maybe I should straight out just recommend not bothering with the Japanese mayonnaise and using what you already have at home? Nah, nah, I’ll claim to keep it “authentic.” (But feel free not to listen to me <<wink wink>>).
I have laid out how to make pretty authentic sushi rice. It requires pieces of kelp (konbu). Again, feel free to skip that if you can’t find any. But with this step, I do encourage you to actually try to stay authentic because, frankly, the rice is really the only authentic thing about this dish! The rest is total Asian fusion.
So, the creamy topping… that’s where the crab and kewpie come in, mixed with cream cheese. Every recipe I’ve encountered calls for sriracha to be mixed in with it all, but I opted for wasabi since, well, wasabi is the condiment you grab for sushi! Both sriracha and wasabi will obviously add spiciness to the dish, but wasabi will give it the right flavor for a SUSHI dish!
Okay, so here’s the thing. You layer the rice then the creamy topping in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. Most recipes then have you add cucumber, avocado, and salsa, as do I, but that’s it. That’s what they serve you as sushi. But before I get to the rest of my recipe, let’s talk about this.
If you are like my husband, you are going to absolutely hate this creamy topping. To him, it’s like eating warm tuna (think Midwestern tuna casserole or a tuna melt). He abhors, yes abhors (hate isn’t a strong enough word), warm tuna. And to him, this creamy topping of warm crab was way too similar to warm tuna. So, total no go for my husband. For me, it was fine. It wasn’t anything that was out of this world for me. But to be honest, it didn’t necessarily add any value. I mean, I just as easily could have skipped the creamy topping all together. AND I just as easily could have skipped adding any crab or imitation crab because I don’t feel like you get much flavor from it… just the texture really.
I’m not doing much to sell you on actually making this dish. The best I can say is, you need to try it and see if it jives with your taste buds. I’m just laying it out on how it was for our family. I will say, I won’t make this again. Or if I did, I would completely skip the creamy topping or make it a third of what it is without the crab to give just a very thin layer on top of the rice. But, I think I just prefer real sushi.
And speaking of real sushi, I did try to make this more in tune with authentic sushi by actually adding raw fish on top of the bake. I cannot imagine eating this without raw fish on top. Frankly, the thought is just gross. I do not see the appeal.
Where do you get sushi grade fish? Most Whole Foods carry frozen sushi grade fish. A lot of Asian markets do also. For us, we have a great local fishmonger that carries sushi grade tuna and salmon. Just call around. It’s easier to find than you would think! But, if you’re going to try a sushi bake, the raw fish is an absolute must.
So, I may not have completely sold you on trying this dish. I wanted to give you honest feedback on a dish I recreated and we tried for the first time. But, if you’ve been feeling tempted, as I was, to try this dish, I do recommend my recipe, of course 😜. But seriously, I have tried to infuse some more Japanese authenticity into this fusion recipe. And if you are going to have warm crab (<<husband gagging>>), the way I present it is really the best bet!
Have you tried a sushi bake?? What are your feelings on it? Do you love it? Hate it? Or have you never tried it but want to share your thoughts anyway?? Tag me on Instagram and let’s start a conversation!
Sushi Bake with Raw Tuna and Salmon
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Category: Asian, Japanese, Asian Fusion
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
2 cups sushi rice
2 cups water
2 – 4” pieces konbu (optional)
3 TBs rice vinegar
2 TBs granulated sugar
1 TB salt
Creamy Top
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup kewpie, substitute with regular mayonnaise
1 – 4 TBs wasabi
1 lb crab claw meat
Topping
¾ lb sushi grade tuna, thinly sliced across the grain
¾ lb sushi grade salmon, thinly sliced across the grain
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, sliced on a bias
Mango Salsa
1 mango, cut into small cubes
1 jalapeño, deseeded if desired, minced
1 lime, juiced
handful cilantro, roughly chopped
To Serve
nori
wasabi
tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F
Make Sushi Rice
Thoroughly rinse the rice and carefully drain off excess water. Place the rice, water, and 1 piece of konbu in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, reducing the temperature slightly if it threatens to boil over. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and the remaining piece of konbu in a small saucepan. Bring to a light boil and stir until the salt and sugar are completely absorbed. Remove and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the sushi rice on top and spread the rice out. Pour the vinegar over the back of a wooden spatula or rice spoon to evenly spread it across the rice. Fold the vinegar into the rice, continuing to mix until it is fully absorbed and the rice starts to thicken.
Scoop the rice into a 9” x 13” baking dish, flattening it down against the bottom.
Make the Creamy Topping
In a medium bowl, add the crab claw meat, breaking it up with your hands. Add the cream cheese and kewpie and 1 tablespoon at a time of wasabi. Mix together thoroughly with a spoon or your hands. Add the creamy topping to the baking dish, evenly spreading it over the sushi rice.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Complete the Bake
Line the top with cucumber and avocado then place the sliced tuna and salmon on top. Slice the dish into desired sizes and place on top of pieces of nori. Serve with the mango salsa, additional wasabi, and tamari or soy sauce.
Enjoy!
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