Lectin-free SUSHI! Cauliflower sticky rice and flourless tempura make this lobster sushi roll a Paradoxer's dream. Even the unagi sauce is compliant. Tastes YUM!
Japanese food, like sushi and tempura, is off limits when you're Paradoxing. But the Lectin Free Gourmet knows that when there's a will, there's a way.
White rice isn't horrible, but cauliflower rice is better, but it's not very sticky. I'll show you how to add one simple ingredient to your cooked, riced cauliflower to make it act like the Japanese sticky rice you love.
Also, real tempura, if it's made right, can have little or no gluten, but why risk it? Traditional tempura is still made with grain flour. I'll show you how to make it with no grains at all. What's more, my LFG tempura batter is full of protein and Vitamin D from the eggs it made from.
There are a lot of parts to this recipe, but that's okay, because it's very easy. You don't need any fancy sushi-making equipment for this. If you don't have a sushi mat, a regular woven place mat will do the trick. For best tempura results, use a deep fryer filled with pure olive oil (not EVOO). This recipe makes enough to easily feed two people, but you can multiply the recipe to feed more.
The Recipe
LFG Tempura Batter
2 Eggs
1/4 t Cream of Tartar
Cauliflower Sticky Rice
1 Cup Organic Cauliflower Rice (Hack: buy cauliflower rice in a bag)
1 T Grassfed Cream Cheese
Lobster Sushi Roll
1 Small (4 oz) Lobster Tail
1 Pinch Salt
2 T Arrowroot Starch
LFG Tempura Batter
4 Asparagus Spears
1 t Lemon Zest
2-3 T Sticky Rice
Sriracha Sauce
1 Sheet Organic Sushi Nori
LFG Ponzu Sauce (for plating)
Vegetable Tempura
4 Thin (1/4 inch) Slices of Sweet Potato
1 Thick Slice Red Onion
2 Broccolini Spears
2 Spears Asparagus
2 T Arrowroot Starch
LFG Tempura Batter
LFG Unagi Sauce
1 T Real Fermented Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
1 T Rice Vinegar
1 T Monk Fruit Sweetener
Tempura Dipping Broth
1 Cup Grassfed Beef Bone Broth
2 T Rice Vinegar
1 T Coconut Aminos
1 T Fresh Chives chopped
Instructions:
Make the cauliflower sticky rice first. Cook the cauliflower rice per bag instructions. Measure 1 cup of cooked cauliflower rice into a small bow. Add 1 T cream cheese. Stir together until it's thoroughly mixed and rice is sticky. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Next, prepare your lobster roll ingredients. Split the lobster tail, devein it and carefully remove the meat in one piece. Lay the tail meat onto a cutting board and cut in half lengthwise so that you have two long strips. Lightly salt the meat. Spoon the arrowroot starch into a small deep bowl. Dredge the lobster tail pieces in the arrowroot starch until they are thoroughly coated. Set aside the coated lobster tail pieces. Save the starch for the vegetable tempura.
Next, prepare the asparagus for the lobster roll. Fill a shallow sauce pan about 1/2 deep with water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and place your 4 asparagus spears into the shallow water. Cover and let the asparagus spears steam. Leave them until needed.
Next, prepare your vegetables for the vegetable tempura. Wash all the vegetables. Peel one end of a sweet potato. Cut four 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut one 1/2 inch thick slice of red onion. Remove the peel from the onion slice. Cut about 1 inch from the ends of the broccolini and asparagus spears. Use bowl of arrowroot starch dredge to dredge the vegetables. Add more starch if needed. Coat all the vegetables and set aside. Chop the chives, but set them aside.
Next make the two sauces. For LFG unagi sauce, simply put all three ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 seconds and turn off heat. Set aside. For the tempura dipping broth, pour the first three ingredients into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while you finish the dish.
Next, deep fry your tempura. Heat the deep fat fryer filled with pure olive oil (not extra virgin) to 300 degrees and remove the basket. Now, make the tempura batter. In two small, deep bowls, separate the egg whites from the yokes. Add the cream of tartar to the whites. With an electric mixer on high. bring the whites to stiff peaks. Next, mix the yolks on high until they are double in size and a bright lemony yellow. Carefully fold the yolks into the whites while maintaining the loft of the whites. dip your lobster tails in the batter, drop them into the deep fryer. Flip them with a fork after about 3 minutes. Tempura should be a golden brown. After another 3 minutes remove the lobster tempura from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat this process for the vegetables. Cook as many as you can at one time. Let the vegetables and lobster stand on the paper towel while you finish the dish.
On a sushi rolling mat (or a woven place mat), place a sheet of sushi nori. Cover the sheet with a thin layer of sticky cauliflower rice. On the end closest to you, lay your lobster tempura and steamed asparagus on top of rice. Let a little asparagus top hang off both the left and right sides. Grate the lemon zest over the lobster and asparagus end. Dot the lobster evenly across the row with a little sriracha sauce. Now using the mat to keep it all together, roll the sushi tightly away from you until it is completely rolled. With a very sharp knife cut the roll into 9 pieces.
On an oblong serving platter, arrange the vegetable tempura on one end. Drizzle some unagi sauce on the other end of the platter and set the sushi on top of it. Pour some the hot tempura dipping sauce into a ramekin and sprinkle it with fresh chopped chives. Use the ramekin as the platter divider.
Serve with a nicely aged Japanese whiskey. Kanpai!