California crab avocado roll (Print version)

Delight in crab, avocado, cucumber, and seasoned rice wrapped in nori with sesame seeds.

# Required ingredients:

→ Sushi Rice

01 - 1 1/2 cups sushi rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
04 - 1 tablespoon sugar
05 - 3/4 teaspoon salt

→ Filling

06 - 4 oz cooked crabmeat or imitation crab sticks, shredded
07 - 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into strips
08 - 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
09 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)

→ Assembly

10 - 4 sheets nori (seaweed)
11 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

→ To Serve

12 - Soy sauce
13 - Pickled ginger
14 - Wasabi

# How to make it:

01 - Rinse sushi rice under cold water until water is clear. Combine rice and water in saucepan, bring to boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
02 - In small bowl, stir together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Gently fold into warm rice and let cool to room temperature.
03 - Place bamboo sushi rolling mat on clean surface and cover with plastic wrap. Lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the mat.
04 - With wet hands, evenly spread about 3/4 cup rice over nori, leaving a 3/4-inch border at top edge. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over rice.
05 - Carefully invert nori sheet so rice side is facing down on plastic wrap.
06 - Arrange crab, avocado, and cucumber in a line along bottom edge of nori. Optionally, add a thin line of mayonnaise.
07 - Using the mat, tightly roll sushi from bottom to top, applying gentle pressure to shape. Seal edge with a small amount of water.
08 - With a sharp, damp knife, slice roll into 6 equal pieces. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
09 - Present sushi with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes restaurant-quality but costs a fraction of the price, and nobody has to know you made it at home.
  • The combination of creamy avocado, sweet crab, and crisp cucumber creates a texture adventure in every bite.
  • Once you nail the technique, you can roll these in about 25 minutes flat, making them perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself.
02 -
  • Your rice must be completely cool or it will turn the nori into mush and the rolls will fall apart as soon as you cut them—I learned this the embarrassing way at a dinner party.
  • A damp knife is non-negotiable; wet it between every single slice or you'll end up with compressed, sad-looking pieces instead of beautiful rounds.
  • The nori's shiny side should face outward on a traditional roll, but for uramaki (rice on the outside), you flip it so the dull side shows—getting this detail right is what makes your rolls look authentic.
03 -
  • Invest in quality nori and store it in an airtight container away from moisture; cheap or stale nori tears easily and tastes papery instead of nutty and fresh.
  • The plastic wrap on your bamboo mat is the secret weapon that makes rolling foolproof—without it, rice sticks everywhere and ruins the experience.
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