Recipe: The Golden Door Bento Box with California Roll and Shrimp Sushi

THE GOLDEN DOOR BENTO BOX



"The Golden Door spa is fashioned after a Japanese Honjin inn. It was designed as a sanctuary to rekindle vitality and spirituality. In the kitchen, we often look to Japan for inspiration. Every Thursday, we serve a Golden Door Bento Box lunch that has been very popular with the guests. Traditionally, bento boxes were a way for farmers and soldiers to bring meager provisions into the field or on the road. Today, bento boxes are fancy, elaborate box lunches for picnics, special celebrations and business luncheons. They are usually composed of four compartments that hold a variety of lunch items. Ours contains a Golden Door California Roll, Shrimp Nigiri Sushi, Blanched Vegetables, Seared Sea Bass, Soba Noodle-Crab Salad, Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad and fruit for dessert. The Golden Door Bento Box can be a bit labor-intensive, but for a special luncheon it is a delicious and healthful treat that is well worth the time it takes to assemble. If you don't have an actual bento box, you can still enjoy the dish. Just place the components in separate bowls and serve family style. You will, however, need a sushi mat to roll the sushi."

FOR THE CUCUMBER SALAD:
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

FOR THE SOBA NOODLE-CRAB SALAD:
4 ounces soba noodles
4 ounces cooked crabmeat
1/2 cup diagonally sliced scallions
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 cups shredded napa or Savoy cabbage

FOR THE RICE:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked sushi rice, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped pickled ginger
1/3 cup rice vinegar

FOR THE SEARED SEA BASS:
2 (4-ounce pieces) sea bass fillets, cut in half
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Canola oil in a spray bottle, or 1 teaspoon canola oil

FOR THE BLANCHED VEGETABLES:
12 snow peas, trimmed
12 asparagus spears, tips only
1 1/4 teaspoons black sesame seeds
4 medium shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup Vegetable Broth
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

FOR THE CALIFORNIA ROLL:
1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 small yam (about 4 ounces), baked and peeled
1 sheet non seaweed
1/2 English cucumber, cut into thin strips
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into thin slices

FOR THE SHRIMP NIGIRI SUSHI:
4 medium shrimp, shell on
1 teaspoon wasabi paste, or 1 teaspoon wasabi powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1 sheet nori, cut into 1/4x2-inch strips

FOR THE FRUIT SALAD:
1/2 honeydew melon, seeded, rind removed, and sliced
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried
4 sprigs fresh mint
1 tablespoon plum wine, optional

CONDIMENTS:
3 tablespoons wasabi paste, or 3 tablespoons wasabi powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
Pickled ginger
Low-sodium soy sauce
Lime-Miso Dipping Sauce and Dressing

TO PREPARE THE CUCUMBER SALAD:
Salt the cucumber lightly and toss it with the mirin and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar in a mixing bowl; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Bring a medium-size pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the soba noodles; simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the noodles are just tender. Drain the noodles in a fine-mesh sieve, rinse under cold running water and transfer to a mixing bowl; stir in the crabmeat, scallions and sesame oil. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Wash, peel and slice the fruit for the fruit salad and set aside.

TO PREPARE THE RICE:
Bring the water to a simmer in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the rice and reduce the heat to low; cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the rice to a bowl and toss in the pickled ginger and 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, reserving the rest for assembling the sushi.

TO PREPARE THE SEA BASS:
Place the bass into a shallow glass or ceramic dish, pour in the soy sauce and sesame oil, toss to coat and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Spray or grease a nonstick pan the canola oil and set over medium-high heat. Remove the bass from the marinade, discarding the liquid. Place the bass into the pan in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Sear on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. (The cooking time will vary with the thickness of the fillets.) Remove from the pan and let cool.

TO PREPARE THE BLANCHED VEGETABLES:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Immerse the snow peas in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, drain and plunge them into the ice water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Drain again. Repeat the process with the asparagus tips. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and set aside.

Combine the shiitake mushrooms, broth, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat and bring to a simmer; cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to soften. Remove from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, remove them from the broth; let cool.

TO MAKE THE CALIFORNIA ROLL:
Boil a pot of water and prepare a bowl of ice water. Immerse the carrots in the boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and plunge into the ice water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Drain and toss with the mirin to coat.

Cut the baked and peeled yam lengthwise into -inch slices.
Place the non, smooth side down, on a sushi mat. Dampen your fingers with rice vinegar and spread half the rice over the non, leaving a 1-inch border at the far edge of the non sheet. Press gently so that the rice forms an even layer. Place the mirin-coated carrot, cucumber, avocado and yam strips in the middle of the rice. Lift the sushi mat from the edge nearest you and roll away from you to form a log shape. Use enough pressure to create a tight roll. Moisten the far end with a bit of rice vinegar and seal. With a sharp knife, cut the sushi roll into 8 equal-size pieces. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a cool place.

TO MAKE THE SHRIMP NIGIRI SUSHI:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Skewer several shrimp, working on the underside from head to tail to prevent curling. Immerse the shrimp in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Lift out the shrimp with their skewers and plunge into the ice water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Remove the shrimp from the skewers. Shell and devein them, leaving the tails intact.

Moisten your hands with the remaining vinegar. Take 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining sushi rice and cradle it in your left hand. Crimp your hand to form an oblong mound of rice. Smear a dab of wasabi on this mound and place a shrimp flat on top. Press the shrimp to conform to the shape of the rice and wrap a non strip around the middle. Repeat the process with the remaining shrimp and rice to make 3 more nigiri sushi pieces. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a cool place.

TO SERVE:
Place 1/2 cup napa or Savoy cabbage into one compartment of each bento box. Top with 1/4 of the Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad and 1/4 of the Soba Noodle-Crab Salad. Place 1/4 of the sushi, sea bass, steamed vegetables and fruit into individual compartments in each box, or place each component in its own bowl and serve family style. Drizzle the fruit with the plum wine, if desired. Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, soy sauce and Lime-Miso Dipping Sauce and Dressing in individual sake cups or small bowls.

Makes 4 servings
Source: The Golden Door Cooks Light and Easy by Michel Stroot