Avocado shrimp roll with salmon caviar is a Michelin star level of appetizer. And it is certainly within reach for the home cook! A new creation is derived from a lobster roll served by chef Alain Devahive, who fuses Catalan (Spain) and Japanese cooking styles in his dishes. Although this dish does require time and effort, your guests will be impressed. This roll could also fit a category of a new style sushi roll; if you ‘pack’ the shrimp mixture tight enough, you could slice the roll and eat it as sushi.
The areas that require most of your attention are making the shrimp sauce and rolling the ingredients into a roll. A sushi rolling mat may be of help.
the art of making avocado shrimp roll with salmon caviar
Making avocado shrimp roll with salmon caviar, requires preferably fresh shrimp for taste and a ripe avocado for ease of rolling and a rich taste. But if you do not have access to fresh shrimp, then use freshly frozen, whole shrimp or frozen shrimp without heads but with skin on. The deep umami taste of the shrimp sauce is derived from the skins (and heads, if you have) and from some vegetables and brandy.
Ponzu sauce is simply made from soy sauce, fresh citrus juice, mirin, vinegar and katsuobushi. Katsuobushi is a Japanese pantry stock item and you will find it in Asian and Japanese supply stores the world over. For a slightly better packed interior of the roll, add less than a knife point of xanthan gum to the shrimp mixture, before refrigerating. The ponzu sauce can be turned into a gel, by using agar agar.
Special equipment
shrink wrap (to ensure that rolling goes well)
sushi mat (to roll)
Avocado shrimp roll with salmon caviar
Ingredients
For the roll
- 1/3 lb (160 g) freshly skinned shrimp
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/3 oz (10 g) capers
- 1/6 oz (5 g) gurkins
- 1.9 oz (50 g) mayonnaise
- 1/6 oz (5 g) fresh parsley leaves
- 1/3 oz (10 g) shallot
- 1/4 tsp shiraza sauce (or other spicy sauce)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 knife point xanthan gum (optional)
For the shrimp sauce
- all left over shrimp skins and heads (if any)
- 2 tsp tomato paste or more fresh tomato
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup cut up onions
- 1/8 cup cut up celery
- 1 tbsp brandy
For the ponzu sauce
- 0.5 cup katsuobushi
- 0.5 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1/3 cup lemon or lime juice
- 1/6 cup orange juice
- 0.7 oz (2 g) agar agar
- 1 cup water
For the decoration
- 1/10 oz (3 g) salmon eggs
- some mini greens
Instructions
shrimp filling
- briefly cook the shrimp. Usually 1 minute for fresh shrimp is enough. Let cool down
- cut the shallot, capers, parsley and gerkins very fine
- when cool, cut the cooked shrimps fine
- mix shrimps with the other ingredients, except for the avocado
- Now is the time to add the xanthan gum, when using
- Mix all very well and refrigerate for at least 1 hr
shrimp sauce
- Cut the vegetables in course parts
- Place the oil in a pan and put on high
- Add the shrimp skins, tails and heads (when available) and stir on high fire. Skins will turn orange or red and may get a bit brown or the pan may get brown spots.
- Add the vegetables and stir for two minutes
- Then add the herbs and so much water that the shrimp skins and heads are barely under the liquid level
- Simmer for 30 minutes
- Then strain the mixture and press the cake in your sieve
- Heat up the liquid and reduce; towards the end add the brandy and continue to slowly reduce until the sauce thickens. Toward the end reduce the heat, such as not to burn the sauce. Reserve the sauce
ponzu sauce gel
- mix all ingredients, except for the agar agar and the water
- After a few hours, strain the mixture through a fine sieve or cloth. Discard the katsuobushi flakes
- Place the agar and 1 cup of water in a sauce pan
- Let the agar swell up during 20 minutes, while stirring now and then
- After 20 min bring the water to a simmer and stir now and then, until the agar is completely dissolved
- Thereafter mix 1/2 cup of the agar water mixture with the rest of the fluids and fill a dosing bottle with the warm mixture and let gradually cool in the fridge.
making the final roll
- Slice a ripe large avocado in two and remove carefully the stone
- Peel the halves and place the halves with the curved part up
- Place a bamboo sushi mat out and place a shrink wrap piece on top that is 40% wider than the mat, but other wise fits the mat. Make sure the shrink wrap overlaps at each side of the mat about the same amount
- With a sharp knife cut thin slices of the avocado and put them slightly overlapping from one side to the other on the shrink wrap., starting at the bottom of the mat. If you want to make a shorter but bigger roll, then add some avocado in two rows also slightly overlapping the first row.
- Place the shrimp mixture on top of the avocado slices with a spoon, such that you form a roll of shrimp spread.
- Thereafter start rolling the mat and the shrink wrap around the shrimp filling and make it tight so you form a nice roll. At the same time twist the shrink wrap at each side of the mat, so that the filling does not 'leak out'
- You can keep the roll in the fridge until plating
- At plating, with a sharp knife, cut the roll and the shrink wrap and unroll each part on a plate
- Spoon some of the shrimp sauce over the roll and top it up with the salmon eggs. Place ponzu gel drops on the plate.
Notes
Food allergy & intolerance information: shrimp, soy sauce,
Remarks
The xanthan gum is a very effective thickener at low temperatures in minute amounts. It provides body to the shrimp mixture, which enables the roll to be cut like sushi.
Use a very sharp knife to cut through the plastic wrap, or alternatively, remove the wrap carefully before cutting
