Just A French Guy Cooking: salmon, avocado and pickled beetroot rice bowl recipe

This recipe is the ideal excuse for learning how to cook rice for sushi. It's also super–easy and looks great. 
Alexis Gabriel Anouz1 October 2018

SERVES 2

Ingredients

For the rice and seasoning
*190g short grain rice
*300ml cold water
*75ml rice vinegar
*50g sugar
*1 tsp salt

For the toppings
*200g sushi-grade salmon fillet, skinned
*1 small pickled beetroot 
*1 avocado, peeled and pitted
*¼ bunch of watercress
*2 Tbsp salmon roe
*a sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds

Method

1. Put the rice in a fine-mesh strainer or colander and run cold water through it until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a rice cooker, add the measured water and cook the rice according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you like rice but you don’t have a rice cooker (a bit hard to believe), go and buy one now.

2. Place a saucepan over a low heat, add the vinegar, sugar and salt and heat, stirring regularly, until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

3. When the rice is cooked, spread it out carefully in a large, deep dish so it will cool quickly, and spoon the vinegar mixture evenly over it.

4. Mix the rice gently with a spatula so you don’t crush or break the grains. As soon as the rice has cooled, it’s time to prepare the dish.

5. The rest is all about making it look good! Fill 2 serving bowls with the rice. Prepare the toppings by cutting the salmon, beetroot and avocado into thin slices. Divide the watercress into small sprigs, removing and discarding any yellow leaves and tough stalks.

6. Arrange the salmon, beetroot, avocado and watercress sprigs over the rice and top each bowl with a tablespoon of salmon roe.

7. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds. If you’re rubbish at making things look pretty, go to Pinterest and check out ‘Chirashi Bowl’.

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Extracted from Just A French Guy Cooking by Alexis Gabriel Aïnouz (Quadrille, £15) Photography © Dan Jones

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