California Rolls - American-Style Sushi Rolls
Making Sushi Photo Tutorial

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During the 1970s, a smart unknown California chef, realizing that many Americans did not like the though of eating raw fish, created the now famous California Roll, made with crab, avocado, and cucumbers. Since then, American sushi chefs have created many variations with unique names such as Spider Roll, Philadelphia Roll, and Rainbow roll. Most people in Japan have never heard of the California Roll, though, and I would advise not trying to order one there.

Making sushi at home is easy to do. Ingredients and equipment can be found at Japanese and Asian foods stores as well as at most large food or grocery stores. I did a large amount of reading on how to make sushi rolls before attempting my first ones. Sushi making does requires a small amount of initial practice. Don't be afraid to try!

You can use the techniques for making the California Rolls to make other variations with different fillings as sushi rolls are extremely versatile and you can make endless varieties. Think of a sushi roll as a sandwich and it's sure to get your imagination rolling as to what to fill it with. Be creative!  

Equipment Needed:
Bamboo sushi-roll mat
Clean cutting board
Sushi knife or very sharp knife
A pack of roasted-seaweed (Nori)
Wood spoon or wood or plastic rice paddle for spreading rice Plastic wrap

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups uncooked Japanese medium grain rice*
4 cups water
5 sheets or sushi nori (seaweed in big squares)**
1 large cucumber
2 to 3 avocados
Fresh lemon juice
Cooked snow crab meat or imitation crab sticks***
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Soy Sauce
Pickled Ginger

* Only use Japanese rice in sushi making. It is a medium-grained rice and gets sticky when it is cooked. Long-grained American rice will not work because it is drier and doesn't stick together.

** Sheets of thin seaweed which is pressed and dried. As a general rule of thumb – good Nori is very dark green, almost black in color.

*** Imitation crab sticks are the easiest to use. They can by found in Japanese food stores.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat mixture just until the sugar dissolves (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and let cool.

Making sushi rice:

• Start preparing the rice approximately 2 hours before you want to make the sushi rolls.

• Wash rice, stirring with your hand, until water runs clear.

• Place rice in a saucepan with water; soak 30 minutes.

• Drain rice in colander and transfer to a heavy pot or rice cooker; add 4 cups water. NOTE: To improve the texture of the rice, after rinsing, let the rice drain 30 minutes in the refrigerator before cooking (put the strainer with the rice in a large bowl to catch the water).

• If you don't have a rice cooker, place rice and water into a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest, covered, for 15 additional minutes.

• When rice is done cooking and resting, transfer to a large bowl; loosen rice grains gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon by cutting and folding (do not stir, as this will crush the rice). NOTE: Either use the rice soon after preparing it, or cover it with a damp cloth to keep it moist. Do not refrigerate the cooked rice.

• Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice, mixing together as you sprinkle (add enough dressing to coat the rice but not make it damp - you may not need to use all the vinegar dressing). Spread the hot rice on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil and let cool.

Preparing sushi ingredients:

• Wash, peel, and seed cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise, then cut into long, slender strips.

• Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, then remove the pit; cut each section in half again (lengthwise), and carefully remove the peel. Cut the section in long slender strips. Sprinkle the sliced avocado with lemon juice to keep from discoloring.

• If you are using snow, crab, remove the crab meat from the thicker portion of the legs and cut in half lengthwise. If you are using imitation crab sticks, remove the plastic wrapping and cut each in half lengthwise.

• Place the cucumber slices, avocado slice, and crab slices on a plate; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
   

Making sushi:

Rolling the sushi:

• Placing your fingers on the ingredients, carefully bring the bottom end of the rolling mat and the plastic wrap up and over the ingredients (tucking the end of the nori to start a roll). Pull back the rolling mat and plastic wrap, as necessary, so it does not get rolled into the sushi. NOTE: Roll tightly with firm pressure.

• Continue rolling the sushi and pulling back the rolling mat and plastic wrap, as necessary, until you have approximately 1 to 2 inches of the top of the nori showing. Rub a small amount of cold water on the edge of the nori and bring the nori around so that it completes the sushi roll.

• Gently squeeze the rolling mat around the sushi roll until it is firm and forms an even roll (be carefuly not to squeeze too hard, as you may crush the ingredients or squeezed them out).
   

• Wrap the plastic wrap around the roll and set aside until ready to cut. Refrigerate or for longer storage. Repeat with remaining nori sheets to make additional rolls.

Cutting sushi rolls:

• Place rolls on a flat cutting board and remove plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, slice the sushi roll first down the middle. From there you can cut it into 6ths or 8ths, whichever you prefer (wet the knife between each cut to make it easier to cut and keep the rice from sticking to the knife).
   

Turn the cut California rolls on end and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. Always serve sushi rolls at room temperature.

Makes approximately 40 California Rolls.