It all began one night in my apartment. That terrible realization when you have that special someone coming over for dinner and you have nothing planned. My fiancé and I have always loved cooking together, and one of our favorite nights was an attempt at making sushi at home. The night was a great success, and we produced some pretty good sushi.
I wanted to replicate that night when I realized I had sushi rice in the pantry, but upon further investigation I didn’t have much else. I had some fresh crab and a little bit of smoked salmon left in the fridge, one sheet of nori but no fresh fish. It was looking a little bleak and this is where my bizarre idea comes in. Whenever a cook experiments with something new, there is always a degree of risk, but the stakes were high this time and little did I know how high they were going to be in the future.
The idea for Sushi Nachos spawned from the idea of restaurants serving tuna tartare with an abundance of avocados and tortilla chips and a lack of regular sushi ingredients. Just like any other massive overly indulgent nacho you see in pubs and bars, this is a layered dish piled high. In my first time creating this hybrid monstrosity, I used what I had available:
- Tortilla chips
- Cooked and seasoned sushi rice
- Crab Salad
- Smoked salmon
- Avocado
- Scallions
- Mangos
- A single sheet of nori (I julienned this and used it for garnish.)
- Homemade Spicy Mayo and Unagi Sauce
Truth be told, it was a slightly weird dish but thoroughly indulgent. More importantly, my fiancé loved them.
Flash forward about a year and half later to a very special night. This time I was going to do it right. I went shopping for the best fresh tuna and salmon I could find. My final recipe ended up not too far from the original, but the fresh fish really enhanced it both in taste and presentation. My fiancé had deemed this her favorite dish that I had ever made for her so it was only fitting that I include it on the night that I asked her to marry me.
Want to impress your significant other with your sushi skills? I highly recommend you take the hands-on sushi classes offered at The Chopping Block. We offer two levels of workshops at both of our locations in Lincoln Square and the Merchandise Mart:
- Sushi Workshop
- Sushi Workshop 2: Roll On
Our Sushi Workshop is an introduction to everything you need to roll sushi successfully from making perfect rice to Spicy Tuna to dipping sauces, even sides like Miso Soup. Our Sushi Workshop 2: Roll On allows you take your skills to the next level with more advanced rolling techniques.
If you can't wait to get started at home, check out Chef Mario Scordato's videos on how to make perfect sushi rice and how to roll traditional maki.
How to Make Sushi Rice
How to Roll Sushi
For more instructional how to cook videos, check out our online video library.
