Spicy Salmon Tower Recipe and Food Photography by Nancy Ingersoll

We eat with our eyes, so making a simple dish look complex is half the battle of making a good impression before anyone ever takes a bite. Layering food is not a new technique. Birthday cakes are the most obvious member of the layered food club, but before they are cut, the layers are hiding. Same goes for nachos. But think of the Cobb Salad – the stripes of ingredients across the bed of lettuce is what makes it look impressive. Use a mold to stack food, and you are on a whole new level. 

I developed this recipe for my favorite wild salmon fishing fleet, Pride of Bristol Bay, and can’t stop thinking about it. Move over Poke Bowl, because I have a new favorite. And the best part is that it is super easy to make and comes together in no time without looking like it did. 

This dish has an asian influence which stems from my fond memories of my adventures in food throughout Japan. It uses cooked salmon, so it is friendly to the not so adventurous eater, but has an elevated style which speaks to the foodie at heart. 

Spicy Salmon Towers
serves 2 (as an entree)

ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice (that means ⅔ cup before it is cooked)
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 cup Pride of Bristol Bay Wild Salmon, cooked and flaked
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon Sriracha (or more if you like it extra spicy)
• 1 teaspoon Furikake (Japanese rice seasoning)

directions

1. Cook the rice on either the stove or in a rice cooker.  
2. While the rice is cooking, flake the precooked salmon and set aside in the refrigerator.
3. Mash the avocado, peel and dice the cucumber, and combine the two with the lime juice. Set aside until assembly. 
4. Prep the ring molds with a light coating of oil on the interior surface.
5. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha. When it is blended, add the flaked salmon and set aside. 
6. Place the rice into the ring mold and pat it down lightly. Using wet fingers will help keep the rice from sticking and enable you to pat it down much easier. The amount of rice you put in each will depend on the size of your rings — shoot for roughly ⅓ of the ring height.
7. Add the avocado-cucumber mixture, and pat it down with the back of a spoon.
8. Add the Salmon mixture to the top of the rings.
9. Sprinkle the Furikake across the top.
10. Carefully remove the mold and serve.  

Hey, do me a favor and add one of these images to Pinterest!