Cyberman Ghosts

We all know that inside every Cyberman is the brain of a once living human being. Likewise, these sushi balls are stuffed with something deliciously red and bloody.

2 cups/270 g sushi rice
2 tbsp/30 ml sweetened sushi rice vinegar (available in the same aisle as the rice)
2 sheets nori
6 oz/170 g sushi grade tuna
4 tbsp/60 g mayonnaise
1 tsp/5 ml sesame oil
1 tsp/5 ml Sriracha or other Asian hot sauce
1 tsp/5 ml sweetened rice wine vinegar
1 red bell pepper (optional)
small frozen blueberries

You can either decorate these sushi rice balls with full Cyberman armor or leave them the amorphous “ghosts” seen in the episode. Vegetarians are welcome to substitute red bell peppers for the tuna. (Tomato would have a better color and consistency, but it’s so wet it would ruin the sushi.)

Cook your sushi rice according to package directions. I have a rice cooker. If you make much rice at home, these things are amazingly easy to use, dirt cheap to buy, and produce nearly miraculous results. I can’t recommend them enough.

While your rice is cooking, dice your sushi grade tuna into small pieces. Mix the mayo, sesame oil, Sriracha, and one teaspoon of sweetened rice vinegar. Feel free to add a little hot chili oil if that’s too mild for you. Mix in your minced tuna. This is now your Cyberman’s brain.

If you’re a vegetarian, feel free to substitute a minced red bell pepper for the tuna. It won’t taste the same, but isn’t that the point? You still get a tasty red brain explosion, only yours has a little crunch to it.

However you make your rice, once it’s finished, douse it with 2 tablespoons of sweetened rice wine vinegar. I know fancy home sushi chefs will mix rice wine vinegar with sugar and salt to make their own, but honestly, I cut that out when no one was able to tell the difference between my home mix and the bottled stuff. Just make sure the pre-made brand you buy uses actual sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

Now for the fun part. Grab a small handful of rice and pack it nice and tight. You’re making a Cyberman’s head. Hollow it out a little and stuff some of your tuna or red bell pepper brains inside. Seal the head closed with some more rice. You can leave it amorphous, like the ghosts in this episode. If you like sculpting, go ahead and give it some features then decorate the surface with bits of Nori or an icing pen to make the Cyberman face. When you’re done, bend some metal paperclips into the familiar rectangular head antenna and stuff those in around where your Cyberman should have ears. Finish them off with two small frozen blueberries for the eyes.

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You can find plenty of recipes for your Doctor Who viewing party (including more cybermen and other great aliens) in Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook.