Camden Roll Recipe

Cook and season rice

If you don't already have cooked sushi rice, cook short-grain rice and season with a mixture of 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt for 2 cups cooked rice. Cool to room temperature.

Prepare scallions and cream cheese

Trim and thinly slice scallions on the bias. Cut cream cheese into 8 long thin strips (about 1/2" x 1/4" x 2" each). Keep chilled until assembly.

Lay out the 6 slices of beef carpaccio on a plate so they are ready to wrap the exterior of the finished roll.

Pat shrimp dry, butterfly by slicing along the back without cutting through, and lightly flatten so each shrimp is about the width of a roll. Season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Use enough oil to fully submerge shrimp (about 2–3 inches deep).

In a bowl, whisk the cold egg with the ice cold sparkling water. Add flour and cornstarch and stir very lightly — batter should be lumpy and cold. Do not overmix.

Dip each prepared shrimp into the batter, allowing excess to drip off, then carefully lower into hot oil. Fry 1–2 shrimp at a time for 1.5–2 minutes until pale golden and crisp. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm.

Wrap your bamboo mat in plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Place one nori sheet shiny-side down on the mat.

With wet hands, spread about 1 cup of seasoned sushi rice evenly over the nori, leaving a 1/2" (1 cm) strip of nori at the far edge free of rice.

Flip the nori and rice so the rice is against the plastic wrap/mat (nori side up). This creates an inside-out roll so the beef carpaccio will wrap the outside later.

Across the center of the nori, place 4 tempura shrimp in a row (tails aligned toward one edge) and tuck 4 strips of cream cheese and half the sliced scallions along the shrimp. Drizzle lightly (about 1 tsp) soy sauce mixed with a few drops of sesame oil over the filling.

Using the mat, roll the assembly tightly away from you into a cylinder, applying gentle even pressure so the filling stays secure. Seal the seam by moistening the nori edge with a little water.

Place the roll seam-side down. Cover the exterior of the roll with overlapping slices of beef carpaccio: lay slices so they fully wrap around, trimming if necessary. Use a little plastic wrap and the mat to press the carpaccio onto the roll so it adheres.

Repeat to make a second roll with the remaining ingredients (you should get two rolls total).

Using a very sharp knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry between cuts, slice each roll into 8 equal pieces (16 pieces total). Clean the knife between cuts to keep slices neat.

Arrange slices on a serving plate. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and remaining sliced scallions on top. Garnish with pickled ginger and small dots of wasabi if desired.

Serve with extra ponzu or yuzu sauce (about 2 tsp per roll) and additional soy sauce on the side for dipping.