This Viral Salmon Bowl Deserves an Avocado Rose

Serious question. Who isn’t talking about Emily Mariko? Emily’s TikTok video a la salmon bowl has gone viral and beyond. And let’s face it, her “turn your leftovers into something special” approach is something many of us working from home can appreciate.

The concept has a special place in my heart—Bowls was the first book I ever worked on (I can even remember developing this Black Rice Bowl with Salmon!). Once I realized I had salmon and rice sitting in my fridge, I knew it was time to cave in and give it a go. Spoiler alert: yes, it is exactly as delicious as everyone says it is.

Think of the idea as a deconstructed sushi: reheated rice and salmon, soy sauce, mayo (preferably Japanese Kewpie mayo), sriracha, kimchi, avocado, and seaweed. With that in mind, I didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Don’t fix something that ain’t broke, right? 

Instead, I pulled a couple tricks I remembered from my days working on Bowls, starting with our very pantry friendly Sesame-Orange Spice Blend. This nutty, citrusy, slightly spicy sprinkle goes great over udon or soba noodles, rice, soft-cooked eggs, grilled meats, and apparently this salmon bowl. 

I also wanted to jazz up the avocado component. Rather than slicing the avocado into thick wedges, I opted for our fancy (yet super easy) avocado rose. Sure, it looks totally Instagrammable, but it’s also about the assembly. By slicing your ripe avocado very thinly, you’re able to roll it into a tight, elegant bundle. Picking apart those delicate avocado petals gives you a little avocado with each bite. Watch my video to learn how.

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