Yum Yum Fire Edition Air Fryer Crispy Rice Cakes with Hibachi-Style Chicken

Directions

1. Make the sauce first so the seasoning has time to hydrate. Whisk the mayonnaise, 2 tsp Spiceology Yum Yum Fire Edition Seasoning, water, rice vinegar, and mirin until smooth. Cover and refrigerate while you prep everything else, at least 15 minutes and up to 1 day.

2. Season the rice. In a large bowl, break up the cold rice with wet hands. Add 1 tsp Spiceology Yum Yum Fire Edition Seasoning, the cornstarch, and 1 tsp oil. Mix and fold until evenly colored and tacky with no dry pockets.

3. Line an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) pan with parchment. Press the rice into an even layer about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, packing it firmly with a wet spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup. Chill 30 minutes in the refrigerator (or 15 minutes in the freezer) until firm.

4. Lift the slab out by the parchment and cut it into 8 rectangles, about 2 x 4 inches. Wipe the knife between cuts for clean edges. Keep the cut rice cakes refrigerated until you cook them.

5. Prep the chicken. Pull the meat from the bone into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks, keeping the skin on and roughly chopping it. Pat dry with paper towels, since surface moisture blocks crisping. Toss with 1.5 tsp Spiceology Yum Yum Fire Edition Seasoning and 1.5 tsp oil until every piece is coated. Skip any extra salt; rotisserie chicken is already seasoned.

6. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 3 to 5 minutes. Spread the chicken in a single layer with space between pieces and cook 6 to 8 minutes, shaking at the 4-minute mark, until the edges and skin are deeply browned and crisp and the center of the largest pieces reaches 165°F (74°C). Transfer to a bowl, toss with the melted butter and grated garlic, and tent loosely with foil.

7. Wipe out the basket and let it come back up to 400°F (204°C) for 2 minutes. Brush all sides of the rice cakes with 1 Tbsp oil. Cook in a single layer in 2 batches of 4 for 10 to 12 minutes per batch, carefully flipping with a thin spatula at the 6-minute mark, until golden, crisp, and audibly crunchy when tapped. Pull them early if the edges darken faster than expected. Cool finished rice cakes on a wire rack, not a plate, so the bottoms stay crisp.

8. Re-whisk the sauce, thin with a few drops of water to a thick drizzle, and transfer to a squeeze bottle. If the chicken has cooled while the rice cakes cooked, re-crisp it in the hot basket for 1 to 2 minutes.

9. Set 4 rice cakes on each plate, top with the chicken, drizzle generously with the sauce, and finish with scallion greens (and sesame seeds, if using). Serve immediately while the rice cake edges are at peak crunch.