California Roll Recipe

Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve or bowl under cold water, gently swishing until the water runs clear (about 3–4 rinses). Drain 10–15 minutes.

Combine the rinsed rice and 2.2 cups water in a rice cooker or heavy saucepan. If using a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover tightly and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

While the rice cooks, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves; do not boil. Cool to room temperature.

Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow bowl (a wooden sushi-oke if available). Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the hot rice. Using a wooden paddle or spatula, cut and fold the rice to mix—do not stir vigorously—to separate grains while fanning to cool to near room temperature (about 5–8 minutes). Rice should be glossy and slightly sticky. Cover with a damp towel to keep moist until assembly.

If using imitation crab sticks, shred or pull them into long thin pieces. Toss the crab with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise to lightly coat. If using real crab, flake and gently mix with mayo.

Cut the avocado in half, remove pit, peel and slice into 1/4" thick strips. To prevent browning, brush lightly with a tiny bit of rice vinegar or keep covered until use.

Seed the cucumber (if needed), then cut into long julienne strips roughly the same length as the nori sheet. Pat dry to remove excess moisture to avoid soggy rolls.

Place toasted sesame seeds in a shallow dish for easy coating of the rice exterior.

Prepare work station

Place the plastic-wrapped bamboo mat on your work surface. Keep a small bowl of water nearby to wet your hands (prevents rice sticking). Have the sheet of nori, prepared rice, fillings and sesame seeds within reach.

Lay one full nori sheet shiny side down on the plastic-wrapped mat. Wet your hands and grab approximately 3/4 cup of sushi rice. Spread the rice evenly over the nori to form a thin, uniform layer about 1/8" thick, leaving a 1/2" strip at the top edge of the nori free of rice to seal the roll. Press gently so the rice adheres.

Flip the nori sheet over so the rice side is facing down on the plastic (this creates the inside-out roll where rice is on the outside). Sprinkle the rice-covered surface lightly and evenly with toasted sesame seeds, pressing so they adhere.

On the nori (now facing up), arrange a line of crab mixture about 1" from the bottom edge, followed by a row of cucumber julienne and avocado strips. Keep fillings centered and not overfilled to allow a clean roll.

Lift the edge of the mat closest to you and begin to roll away from you, tucking the filling with your fingers to form a tight cylinder. Apply even pressure with the mat to shape the roll. Continue rolling until the sealed nori edge closes the roll; wet the exposed 1/2" nori strip with a little water to help seal if needed.

Use a sharp, wet knife to slice the roll: wet the blade, then cut the roll in half, then cut each half into 3 equal pieces (6 pieces per roll) or 8 pieces if you prefer smaller slices. Wipe the knife clean and wet between cuts for clean edges.

Arrange the pieces on a plate with cut sides up. Garnish with extra sesame seeds if desired.

Serve immediately with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi on the side. California rolls are best eaten the same day they are made to preserve rice texture and avocado color.