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1
For the tempura batter, place 1 1/4 cups of the club soda in a medium mixing bowl and sift the flour and cornstarch over it.
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2
Add the salt and whisk until evenly blended.
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3
The batter should be the consistency of thin pancake batter.
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4
If necessary, add additional soda water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach correct consistency.
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5
Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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6
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
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7
Add the asparagus, blanch for 6 minutes, then shock in ice water and drain.
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8
Place a bamboo sushi mat on a work surface with the slats crosswise.
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9
Center 1 sheet of nori on the sushi mat.
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10
Place a sheet of salmon on top of the nori, leaving a 1-inch border of nori uncovered along the top.
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11
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds evenly over the salmon and season with salt and black pepper.
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12
Place 3 shiso leaves side by side, then add 4 asparagus spears side by side horizontally about 1-inch above the bottom edge.
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13
Grasping the bamboo mat, the nori, and the edge of the salmon on the bottom, tightly roll up, enclosing the asparagus.
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14
Firmly press the 1-inch border at the top to create a seal.
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15
(The moisture from the salmon will be enough to make the 2 pieces of nori adhere to each other.)
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16
The roll should be about 1 3/4 inches in diameter.
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17
Carefully remove the bamboo mat, transfer the salmon roll to a plate, and refrigerate.
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18
Repeat with the remaining ingredients, making 2 more salmon rolls.
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19
The rolls can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours at this point.
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20
With a serrated knife, cut each of the 3 salmon rolls in half crosswise so that you have 6 (4-inch) rolls.
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21
In a large heavy saucepan, heat 4 inches of vegetable oil to 375 degrees F.
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22
Insert 1 long bamboo skewer crosswise through 1 end of a salmon roll, then insert another skewer through the other end.
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23
Using the ends of the skewers as handles, dip the roll into the tempura batter so that it is completely coated, letting the excess batter drip back into the bowl.
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24
Carefully immerse the roll in the hot oil, and after 10 seconds, gently push it off the skewers to float free in the oil.
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25
Fry until batter is crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
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26
With a skimmer, transfer the first roll to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in a very low oven.
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27
With the skimmer, remove any leftover bits of batter from the oil so that they don't burn and smoke.
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28
Repeat with the remaining 5 rolls.
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29
With a serrated knife, quickly trim off the ends of the rolls and cut each into 5 (3/4-inch-long) rounds.
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30
Make a tall mound of the salad in the center of each of 6 serving plates.
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31
Lean 5 pieces of roll against the salad around the base.
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32
Dot the remaining 1/2 cup of honey mustard dressing (from the salad recipe) around the outer edge of the plates.
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33
Garnish the salad on each plate with a pinch of daikon sprouts.
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34
In a medium mixing bowl, toss the julienned vegetables with the salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the dressing.
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35
Reserve remaining dressing for garnish.
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36
**Chef's Note for preparing salmon slices: Either ask your fishmonger to cut the salmon sheets for you, or buy a fillet of salmon cut from the tail section (where it is the thinnest) and proceed as follows.
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37
Make a guide for your knife by placing large wooden chopsticks about 6 inches apart on a cutting board.
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38
Place the salmon fillet between them lengthwise and rest the chopsticks against the long edges of the fish.
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39
Holding a very long, sharp filleting knife so that 1 flat side of the blade is parallel to the cutting board, slice the salmon horizontally while steadying the top of the salmon with your other hand.
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40
When you have cut one sheet, lift it off the fillet and repeat the process a second and a third time, until you have 3 sheets (the blade may end up resting against the guides).
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41
Trim the salmon slices to 4 by 8 inches and reserve the trimmings for another use.
