California Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Place 2 cups short-grain sushi rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, swirling with your hand, until water runs almost clear (about 2–3 minutes). Drain 15 minutes. Transfer rice to a rice cooker or pot with 2.2 cups water. Cook according to rice cooker instructions or bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Season rice

While rice cooks, combine 3 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tbs sugar, and 1 tsp salt in a small saucepan and warm gently just until sugar dissolves. Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow bowl or hangiri. Pour seasoning over rice and fold gently with a rice paddle or wooden spoon to combine and cool — avoid smashing grains. Fan rice while folding to bring it to room temperature (about 10 minutes). Keep rice covered with a damp cloth.

Make yuzu mayonnaise

In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tbs gluten-free mayonnaise, 1 tsp yuzu juice, 1/2 tsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp sugar, and 1/8 tsp kosher salt until smooth. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness. Chill until assembly.

Prepare crab

If crab is in large lumps, shred or flake into bite-sized pieces. Gently toss the crab with 1–2 tbs of the prepared yuzu mayo (reserve the rest for finishing) so it is lightly coated but still chunky. Keep chilled until ready to assemble.

Prepare avocado and cucumber

Halve and pit the avocado. Slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips. Immediately brush lightly with a little lemon juice (use remaining 1/2 tsp if desired) to prevent browning. Trim the cucumber, slice off seeds if watery, and cut into long thin matchsticks or 1/4-inch batons.

Prepare nori and tools

Lay out a bamboo sushi mat and cover with plastic wrap to prevent sticking. If making an inside-out roll (rice on outside), have 4 nori sheets and a bowl of cold water to wet your hands.

Form rolls (inside-out)

With wet hands, take about 3/4 cup seasoned sushi rice and evenly press it onto one side of a nori sheet (roughly two-thirds of the sheet), leaving a 1/2-inch margin at the far edge. Lightly press rice to an even 1/4-inch layer. Flip the nori so rice faces down on the plastic-wrapped mat if you prefer rice inside; for classic inside-out, place rice on plastic and nori on top. Place a thin line of crab mixture across the center, add a row of avocado slices and cucumber batons. Using the mat, roll briskly but gently, compressing to form a tight cylinder. Seal edge with a little water.

Alternative - hand roll or open style

For a simpler presentation, shape rice into rectangular blocks, top with crab, avocado slices, cucumber, a squeeze of yuzu mayo and finish with masago. This creates a gluten-free nigiri-style California.

Trim and slice

If rolled, use a very sharp, wet knife to slice rolls into 6–8 pieces: wipe and wet the blade between cuts to keep clean edges. Arrange on a platter.

Garnish and serve

Pipe or dollop remaining yuzu mayonnaise on top of each piece (about 1/4 tsp per slice). Sprinkle 2 tbs masago evenly across rolls and finish with a light dusting of toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately with pickled ginger, gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, and wasabi if liked.