Limburg sushi

In the Continue scenario there is much ruthless borrowing and re-localising of world cuisines. Sushi is one such dish which has been assimilated around the globe using ingredients suited to the local palate. For Limburg, where the Future Fictions exhibition was held, we chose potatoes and asparagus. Asparagus is a vegetable endemic to the region, but it is out of season in October so the asparagus we used was actually imported from Peru, which perfectly suited the scenario.

Ingredients

Potato puree:

  • 1/2 kg blue (Adirondack) potatoes (image)
  • butter and/or olive oil to taste
  • (Himalayan pink) salt (image)

Marinated asparagus:

  • 200 g thin green asparagus (tips)
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp (smoked) olive oil
  • Tamari soy sauce (to taste)

Preparation

Potato puree: Boil potatoes in the skin. Test their softness with a fork. The fork should pierce the potatoes easily, but they shouldn't fall apart. Remove from heat, drain the water and let cool just enough so you don't burn your fingers when you hold the potato for a few seconds. Peel off the skin using your fingers. Mash potatoes with salt, butter and/or olive oil until the mash becomes relatively smooth. It's not a problem to have some small chunks that aren't completely mashed. Let the mash cool completely.

Asparagus: Peel asparagus (if needed) and blanch for a few minutes until the stalks soften but are still bright green and firm. Take out of the pan using a slotted spoon an place asparagus in ice water for a few minutes to halt the cooking process (this will preserve the bright green colour). In the mean time make the marinade: juice half a lemon, add soy sauce and olive oil, stir to combine. We used a smoked olive oil that we smoked a few weeks earlier using the Smoking Gun, but this is not absolutely necessary. A good quality extra virgin olive oil can be used as well. Brush the asparagus with the marinade and reserve in the fridge until needed.

Sushi: Spread a thin layer of potato puree on a nori sheet. Place a few asparagus spears in the middle and roll sushi using a bamboo mat.

Serving

Cut maki in medium thin slices using a sharp knife. Sprinkle with dulse flakes.

Sourcing

The ingredients came from the Tanclub organic shop, Des Tanneurs biomarket and Delhaize.

🍴

This recipe is part of 🍴Food Futures