Frushi: Coconut Sticky Rice with Fresh Fruit and Orange Sauce

Recipe: Norbert Bomm

YIELD: 8 (4-piece) servings

For the coconut rice:
4 oz. dry sushi rice
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ tsps. unseasoned rice vinegar
½ cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. agave nectar

For the orange sauce:
½ cup orange juice, 2 Tbsps. honey
½ tsp. cornstarch

For the frushi:
1 honeydew melon
1 cantaloupe
1 can of mandarin oranges
about a dozen strawberries

1. To make the rice: Place sushi rice, water and vinegar in a rice cooker and cook until tender.

2. Place cooked rice in a mixing bowl, add shredded coconut and agave nectar and mix ingredients together gently.

3. Turn a 9”x12” baking dish upside down and spray the underside of the pan with pan release. Then spread coconut rice in an even layer, about ½” thick. Place rice in refrigerator to cool and set. Once the rice has completely cooled, cut lines and rows in the rice, creating 1”x1” squares. These are the base of the sushi.

4. To make the orange sauce: Whisk together 1 Tbsp. of orange juice with cornstarch to make slurry, mixing well to get rid of all clumps.

5. Place orange juice and honey in a small saucepan, reduce lightly over medium heat, add cornstarch slurry, simmer for a few minutes and allow sauce to thicken, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Place sauce in a small serving dish and set in the refrigerator to cool.