Watermelon Sushi experiment (Trigger Warning) Part 1

The reason I am putting a trigger warning on this post, is because I will be comparing the results with actual raw fish (not visually, but verbally). Again, there will be NO images of raw fish. Only baked and marinated watermelon. The resemblance is spooky. Or maybe science is just that much cooler.
I like playing with food.

🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉

As many might know I haven't been veg long. I've been looking into it for almost a year, but I am not completely plant based in any way, except my choice of milk. I am, however, taking baby steps to get there.

I'm in a few Vegan groups on Facebook and I saw someone post how they made watermelon sushi.
My mouth dropped for a minute and I had to find the video they were referencing to see it for myself.

Baked Watermelon y'all.
It's a thing.
Here's the video I referenced here

Now I know people have made lox and sushi with tomatoes and carrots - but this is next level stuff.

There are probably other videos out there. I didn't get that far. But I roughly based it upon that video.

Here are some before and after pictures.

I placed on a parchment lined baking sheet, added 1 tablespoon of  veg. oil and placed it in the preheated 350F oven

After 30 minutes I flipped them.

After another 30 minutes (1 hour total)

These bits were sliced WAY TOO THIN.
***See my note below on this.

In the marinade. Recipe below.

***NOTE:

I wanted to address the note first. About how thick or thin to cut the watermelon. 

I suggest that you cut it a bit thicker. But that would mean baking it longer.

For thin pieces, it can still work, but you might lose a few pieces in the process, like I did.

I only baked these thinner slices for 1 hour total.

They were still sweet and some still had a little bite to them.

I was hoping the marinade would help further soften them and neutralize the flavor.

Marinade: I kept in the marinade for 24 hours

• 1 - 2 Tablespoons of water
• 2 - 3 Tablespoons of soy sauce (or Tamari or Coconut Aminos)
• 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
• Half of a TBSP to 1 Tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons of nori flakes

For the nori flakes I blitzed a sheet of nori in the blender until it was a flake. If you can get it to a fine powder that will work too. I've never worked with kelp powder and I don't know how much stronger that is so I don't have a measurement, but I'm sure you can use it - just a little at a time or to taste.

From out of the oven and in the marinade it resembles raw salmon or tuna - quite similar. 

The texture feels like raw fish and the smell - to me - is kinda fishy but more like sushi already dipped in soy sauce. 

I don't really have an alternative for the marinade. If you're afraid of the sodium then use low sodium versions of whatever you like to use.

I marinated it for almost 24 hours. I checked it after a few hours and it still tasted sweet. So I kept it in there all night and all day and the sweet taste was gone.

Again, 1 hour of baking at 350F and 24 hours in the marinade worked for the thin slices.

My next experiment will be with thicker slices. Baking for longer and seeing if marinating needs longer time. [to be determined]

The amount of watermelon that I ended up with in the marinade, is maybe a half a cup. 

Should be enough for a couple of sushi rolls.

I believe this concludes my first part.
My 2nd part will be assembling rolls and giving them to my omni family to test out!