Easy-to-make appetizer

A: Aiko co-owner David Smith couldn’t quite explain why a dish called Magic Mushrooms doesn’t have any mushrooms in it, but he did say that he and his sister, co-owner Koho Jinks, are in the process of changing the name. Smith had to make a few adaptations to the recipe for readers, as some ingredients are not available in local stores. Two ingredients used here — shichimi (Japanese seven spice mix) and unagi no tare (Japanese eel sauce) — can both be purchased at Tomato International Corp., an Asian grocery store at 2086 Cobb Parkway in Smyrna (770-933-0108).

Magic Mushrooms (Aiko’s Avocado Salmon Rolls)

The trickiest part of preparing these tasty little treats is slicing the salmon into 1/4-inch-thick fillets. But once you’ve done that, it’s easy to roll the sheets of salmon around the avocado, and the two sauces come together quickly.

1/2 pound skinless, boneless salmon fillet

1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into strips

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon shichimi (Japanese seven spice)

1/8 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic

1/8 teaspoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon unagi no tare (Japanese eel sauce)

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Place the salmon fillet on a cutting board and, using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the fillet horizontally into 1/4-inch-thick sheets. Trim each piece to a width of about 3 inches (save the trimmings).

Place each sheet, long side toward you, on a piece of plastic wrap. Place avocado strips across the center of the salmon sheet. Bring the bottom of the salmon sheet up, using the plastic wrap to help, over the avocado. Tightly roll the salmon around the avocado. Salmon may wrap more than once around the avocado strips. The rolls should be about the diameter of a quarter. (Use the trimmings to cover any rips or uneven spots in the longer rolls or to make additional rolls.) Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until salmon is almost frozen, about 30 minutes.

While the salmon freezes, prepare spicy mayo and sweet eel sauce. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sesame oil, shichimi, soy sauce, garlic and rice vinegar. In a separate bowl, combine corn syrup and eel sauce.

Preheat the oven or a toaster oven to broil. Remove salmon rolls from freezer and unwrap. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Place pieces, flat side down, in an ovenproof dish or pan and broil until salmon is just cooked, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and top each piece with a teaspoon of spicy mayo. Return to oven and broil 1-2 minutes, until spicy mayo is golden brown.

Arrange pieces on a serving dish. Drizzle with sweet eel sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve with remaining spicy mayo on side. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 430 calories (percent of calories from fat, 76), 12 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 38 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 43 milligrams cholesterol, 279 milligrams sodium.