Sushi California Rolls
Sushi Rice
Making sushi rice is an art and a science. You may have to play with the amounts of water to get the rice sticky, but not gummy. You may want a little more sugar, a little more vinegar. Use the ingredients below as a starting point. The rice was made in a rice cooker, which means very little water boils off. It was also made with sushi rice—meaning the rice kernel has all the “grain” polished off, so less water is needed in order to cook the rice. You can use normal long-grained rice to make sushi rice, but it is harder to get the proper consistency. You will need to add more water for long-grained rice.
You cannot use instant rice. If you use a regular sauce pan to cook the rice, use a large one—when you stir in the vinegar mixture you’ll need room to mix it in properly. Also, if using a regular sauce pan, start the rice with cold water, simmering on very low and keep a lid on the rice the entire cooking time (this can be hard to do as the water will often boil over—if you must add water for some reason, match the temperature of the water in the saucepan. (Meaning, if the water is already boiling, add boiling water.)
In rice cooker:
2 cups sushi rice
3 1/8th cups water
While rice is cooking, mix in bowl:
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon or so of water if needed so that the sugar and salt dissolve.
The rice is done when all the water is absorbed and is soft. In the case of a rice cooker, the cooker will shut off automatically. Let the rice sit covered for at least five minutes before mixing in the vinegar. While the rice is still hot, pour the vinegar mixture over the top and stir well. Mix gently so that you don’t smash the rice kernels and turn the whole thing to mush, but make sure the vinegar mixture is evenly distributed. Cover the rice again and allow it to cool enough to handle.
Preparing other ingredients for California Rolls
|
Crab Mixture Chop 16 ounces imitation crab or imitation lobster into small pieces. Make sure the crab is in small pieces, no larger than ¼ inch pieces. Larger chunks will fall out of the roll, especially after the roll is cut. Mix the chopped crab with just enough mayonnaise to help it stick together, about 4 tablespoons. WARNING: Do not use Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise. They are Not the same. |
Cucumbers
Peel one cucumber. Slice down the middle, lengthwise. With small spoon, scoop out seeds. Slice the remaining cucumber shell into strips approximately ¼ inch diameter. Fatter slices are harder to manipulate in the roll.
Avocado
Peel, and slice in half lengthwise. Remove pit. Slice into ¼ inch slices. These will be a bit fat towards the center, but the avocado doesn’t usually cause problems.
Lay out a sheet of seaweed on a sushi bamboo roller. Have cup of cool water at the ready. Using a wooden spoon or plastic rice paddle, drop about a half cup of rice on the seaweed and spread a bit with the spoon. Wet your fingertips in the cup of water, shake excess water off and press the rice lightly against the seaweed until you have uniform coverage. Do not press rice all the way to the edges of the seaweed. Leave about a ½ inch of seaweed without rice on top and bottom. You want about a one to two rice kernel layer (not a thick layer) of rice across the seaweed.
| Just south of center, put a row of crab, lengthwise across the rice (the crab should not be more than ½ inch tall—even less when you are learning because the more stuff in the middle, the harder it is to roll). Then put a line of avocado, and last, (north side) two strips of cucumber. |
|
| Rolling is a bit cumbersome. Hold the crab mix in place by pressing your fingertips against the cucumber. (The avocado squishes and so does crab, so you want the cucumber on top where you can kind of hold it as you fold the first roll around.) With your thumbs, grasp the bamboo sheeting and roll on top of the cucumber. Press down so that the seaweed sticks to the rice below. |
|
|
Release the bamboo and roll it forward. Note: Keep the bamboo away from the rice—you roll the bamboo sheeting only on the outside of the seaweed, moving the roll inside. When the roll is in a nice rolled formation, squeeze lightly along the whole roll so that you tighten it evenly across the roll. |
|
| Take the bamboo sheeting away and you should have a nice California roll, ready to be cut. You need a very sharp knife to cut through the seaweed without smashing the inner ingredients. Let the roll sit for 10 to 15 minutes. TIP: If you are having a lot of trouble cutting the roll, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. |
|
| Cut ½ inch pieces along each roll. Don’t start too close to the edges—the edge pieces are messy and ingredients tend to come squishing out. Cut about an inch in and the inside cuts will be nice rolls. The two ends will be messier and are for the cook to “taste,” and may not necessarily be presented. |  |
Soy sauce
In soy sauce serving dish, mix ½ tsp wasabi with soy sauce. If you are using “light” soy sauce, it is probably okay as is. Regular soy sauces may need to be thinned with a bit of water before adding the wasabi.
Enjoy!