Dragon Roll Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Rinse 2 cups short-grain sushi rice under cold water until the rinse runs mostly clear (about 4–6 rinses). Drain and combine with 2 1/4 cups water in a rice cooker or pot. If using a pot, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes; remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Make sushi vinegar

While rice cooks, combine 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1.5 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp fine sea salt in a small saucepan over low heat just until sugar and salt dissolve. Do not boil. Cool slightly.

Season rice

Transfer hot cooked rice to a large shallow bowl (wood or wide nonreactive bowl preferred). Gently fold in the sushi vinegar with a wooden paddle or spatula using cutting-and-folding motions to avoid crushing grains. Fan the rice as you fold to cool it to roughly body temperature. Cover with a damp towel while assembling rolls.

Prepare crab filling

In a small bowl, mix shredded imitation crab (6 oz) with 3 tbsp mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp wasabi (optional) until combined. Taste and adjust for creaminess/spice. Set aside.

Prepare eel and vegetables

If using packaged grilled unagi, warm briefly in the microwave or oven and slice into long thin strips ~1/2 inch wide. Julienne 1/2 cup cucumber and slice 2 avocados in half, remove pits and thinly slice one avocado to use later for topping; reserve the other avocado halves for the inside if desired.

Set up mat and nori

Place the bamboo mat on a flat surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Place 1 nori sheet shiny side down on the plastic-covered mat with the shorter edge nearest you.

Spread rice on nori

Moisten your fingers with the vinegar-water. Scoop about 3/4 to 1 cup of seasoned sushi rice and spread evenly over the nori, leaving a 1-inch strip along the far edge without rice. Press gently to create an even layer about 1/4 inch thick.

Add fillings

Arrange a thin line of the crab-mayo mixture roughly 1 inch from the near edge across the width of the nori. Lay a few strips of eel (or reserve eel for topping if preferred), a small handful of julienned cucumber, and a few slices of avocado across the crab line.

Roll the sushi

Using the bamboo mat, lift the near edge of the nori and rice over the fillings, tucking them in gently. Continue to roll forward while applying even pressure with the mat to form a tight roll. Seal the far edge with a little water if needed. Place the roll seam-side down on the mat.

Create dragon topping

Lay thinly sliced avocado pieces overlapping across the top of the roll so they form a scale-like covering. If needed, warm avocado slices slightly (hand temperature) to help them lay flat. Use one whole thinly sliced avocado per two rolls (adjust proportions); press gently so the slices adhere to the rice.

Add eel on top (optional)

If using eel as a topping instead of inside, place thin strips of warmed unagi atop the avocado layer.

Slice the roll

Wet a very sharp knife in the vinegar-water. With the roll seam-side down, cut the roll in half, then cut each half into 3 or 4 equal pieces to make 8 pieces total. Clean and re-wet the knife between slices to keep clean cuts and prevent tearing.

Sauce and garnish

Drizzle 4 tbsp unagi (eel) sauce over the top of the sliced roll. Sprinkle 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds across the pieces. Add additional small dots of mayonnaise or spicy mayo if desired. Serve with pickled ginger and soy sauce on the side.

Storage and notes

Best eaten immediately. If storing briefly, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 6 hours; note that rice firms and avocado will brown. For best presentation, prepare avocado topping just before serving and keep sushi rice covered with a damp towel while assembling.