Dragon Roll Recipe

Rinse the short-grain rice in cold water: place rice in a fine-mesh sieve or bowl, swish and drain 4–6 times until the rinse water runs mostly clear. Drain 10–15 minutes.

Combine rinsed rice and 2.2 cups water in a heavy-bottomed pot with tight-fitting lid (or rice cooker). Soak 30 minutes if time allows. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high, then reduce to low and simmer 12–15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes, still covered.

While rice cooks, warm the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan or microwave just until sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Let cool to room temperature.

Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow bowl (preferably a wooden hangiri). Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over rice and use a wooden rice paddle or spatula to cut and fold the rice (avoid mashing) while fanning to cool to near room temperature. Keep covered with a damp towel while you assemble rolls.

Mix shredded crab with 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise in a small bowl. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. This is the crab salad filling.

Prepare cucumber by cutting into long thin julienne strips; slice avocado thinly lengthwise and brush lightly with lemon or rice vinegar if you want to prevent browning.

Place a bamboo mat on your work surface and wrap it with plastic wrap (prevents rice sticking). Place one nori sheet shiny side down on the plastic (if using full sheet cut in half longwise to make 4 rolls). Wet your hands in the vinegar water to prevent sticking.

With wet hands, spread about 3/4 cup of sushi rice evenly over the nori, leaving a 1/2" (1.3 cm) strip uncovered at the far edge. Press rice lightly to an even thickness (about 1/4"/6 mm).

Flip the nori sheet so rice side is down on the plastic wrap (this is the inside-out roll technique). On the nori side, near the closer edge, place a 1/4 of the crab salad lengthwise, a thin line of cucumber, and 4–5 slices of avocado. Do not overstuff.

Using the mat, roll the nori tightly away from you to enclose the filling, applying gentle pressure to form a firm cylinder. Seal the edge with a few grains of rice or a little water. Repeat to make 3 more rolls.

If your unagi is not pre-glazed, warm it in a small pan and brush generously with 2–3 tablespoons unagi sauce to glaze. Slice the glazed eel lengthwise into thin strips about 1/4" wide to lay across the top of the rolls.

For each roll, place plastic-wrapped bamboo mat on the work surface, set a roll on top, and arrange overlapping slices of avocado across the top of the rice to cover it in a fanned pattern. Press gently with the mat so the avocado adheres to the rice.

Place the glazed eel strips on top of the avocado (or alternate avocado and eel slices so the eel shows like dragon scales). Brush the top with remaining unagi sauce (about 1 tablespoon per roll) to shine and flavor.

Unwrap and transfer roll to a cutting board. Wet a very sharp knife in the vinegar water and slice each roll into 8 even pieces, wiping the knife clean and wetting between cuts to keep slices neat.

Arrange pieces on a platter. Garnish with masago or tobiko sprinkled across the top, toasted sesame seeds, a small dab of wasabi on the side and pickled ginger. Drizzle any extra unagi sauce over the pieces for presentation.

Knife and mat care

Keep a small bowl of water with a splash of rice vinegar handy to wet the knife between cuts and to wet your fingers when handling rice. Use plastic wrap over the bamboo mat to keep it clean; remove the wrap and wash the mat after use.