Lion King Sushi Bake

The first time I ever tried a sushi bake was at a holiday party for my wife’s halau. She hadn’t been dancing hula for very long but I always looked forward to these potlucks because there was always such good island food. It was at that first holiday party where I tried a sushi bake and the holidays haven’t been the same since.

Sushi bake is one of my favorite holiday potluck dishes and this lion king version is always so popular. It’s like a choose your own adventure sushi roll coated in umami-filled furikake. My sushi bake is inspired by the popular lion king roll you’ll find at most sushi restaurants and I like serving it with a bunch of sides with the roasted seaweed on the side, sliced green onions, thinly sliced jalapeños, cucumbers and even more furikake!

Ingredients
4 cups warm rice (preferably sushi rice)
Sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 pinch of salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 filets of salmon (mine were air fried with a coating of garlic powder, onion powder and garlic salt)
8 imitation crab sticks shredded
1/2 cup Japanese mayo
1 tbsp soy sauce
Unagi sauce
Furikake

For toppings
Sliced cucumber
Sliced jalapeno
Avocado
Sriracha
Tobiko
Green onions

1. Lightly grease a baking dish with sesame oil. Mix vinegar, salt, and sugar in a bowl and drizzle over rice and mix. Flatten layer of rice on bottom. Top generously with furikake.
2. Mix crab, salmon, mayo, and soy sauce in a separate bowl and layer over rice. Add a drizzle of unagi sauce and mayo. Sprinkle another layer of furikake and cover with foil.
3. Bake in oven at 375° for 12 minutes. Remove foil and broil on high for 1 minute. Serve with sheets of toasted seaweed and a spread of toppings.

Hakuna matata