Ingredients
Shells
- 6 plain nori sheets about 15 g; trimmed into roughly 6-inch circles
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 25 g cornstarch
- 110 ml ice-cold sparkling water plus a small splash only if needed to brush thinly
- 1 liter neutral frying oil approximately, to give 1 1/2 inches depth in a suitable pot; do not fill pot more than one-third
Filling
- 300 g cooked short-grain white rice cooled promptly and refrigerated; use within 24 hours
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 240 g fully cooked peeled shrimp thawed safely if frozen, patted dry and chopped; keep chilled
- 100 g avocado flesh thinly sliced
- 100 g cucumber seeded if watery and cut into thin matchsticks
- 30 g mayonnaise
- 10 g sriracha
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 scallions about 20 g, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds about 6 g
Equipment
- Heavy deep pot
- Deep-frying thermometer
- Two long metal tongs
- Wire rack and tray
- Pastry brush
- Kitchen scissors
Instructions
Prepare, fry and assemble
- Prepare all filling ingredients first. Stir the rice vinegar and sugar into the cold cooked rice. Mix the mayonnaise, sriracha and lime juice in a small bowl. Keep shrimp refrigerated until assembly.
- Set a wire rack over a tray. Pour oil into a heavy deep pot to about 1 1/2 inches depth, keeping the pot no more than one-third full. Heat to 350°F (175°C), checking with a frying thermometer.
- Mix flour and cornstarch, then briefly stir in the cold sparkling water to make a thin, lightly lumpy batter. Do not beat smooth. Brush a thin layer over one side of one nori circle.
- Using long tongs, carefully lower the nori into the oil. After about 10 seconds, use two long metal utensils to guide it into a loose U while it is still flexible, holding the sides apart. Fry about 30–60 seconds in total, until the coating is pale golden and crisp. Lift out, allow oil to drain and rest on the rack. Repeat one shell at a time, maintaining oil temperature; keep hands clear of oil.
- Let shells cool briefly until comfortable to handle. Divide rice, shrimp, avocado and cucumber among the six shells. Add a light drizzle of spicy mayonnaise, scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 26gFat: 24gFiber: 4g
Video
Notes
Nutrition is estimated per 2 tacos using generic ingredient values, counting all prepared batter and an assumed 20 g retained frying oil for the whole batch. Actual oil uptake and unused batter vary. The cost estimate includes approximately 1 liter frying oil needed for the pot, not just the amount retained in the food.
Video credit: Surf and Turf, Crispy Sushi Tacos. The demonstration shows lightly battered fried nori shells and tuna tartare filling. This recipe uses fully cooked shrimp, an egg-free flour-cornstarch shell batter, and its own measured rice, vegetable and sauce quantities. Follow this card for the filling and amounts.
Contains crustacean shellfish, wheat and sesame; mayonnaise usually contains egg. Keep shrimp at 40°F (4°C) or below until assembly. Use cooked rice that was cooled promptly, refrigerated and prepared within 24 hours. Do not leave perishable filling out over 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Assemble only for immediate serving.