California Rolls
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Loading... - Erin Moore
- 03 Mar 2023
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Fresh crabmeat, creamy avocado, and crisp cucumber are at the heart of this popular sushi roll.
Active Time: 1 hrs
Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 rolls
A California roll is a maki-style sushi roll that uses avocado, cucumber, and lump crab meat instead of the traditional raw fish. Maki-style sushi means that the ingredients are rolled in seaweed and paired with vinegared sushi rice.
The origins story for this dish varies. According to some accounts, the California roll was not created in California at all but in Vancouver, Canada, by a Japanese chef named Hidekazu Tojo. He could not get his western clients to eat the raw fish in sushi, so he swapped the raw fish for locally enjoyed ingredients like steamed Dungeness crab and avocado.
Another account claims that the California roll was created In Los Angeles by a different Japanese chef, Ichiro Mashita. The common thread is that each of these chefs sought a way to bring their culinary traditions to their new homes while utilizing the ingredients endemic.
How to Make California Rolls
The key to making California rolls, and sushi rolls in general, is the rice. Tossing freshly steamed rice with a rice vinegar and sugar mixture helps make the rice sticky and also infuses it with a tangy-sweet flavor that complements the other ingredients.
Sliced avocado, crunchy cucumber, and fresh crabmeat fill out the interior of the roll. Togarashi-spiced mayonnaise brings all of the ingredients together by adding creamy balance to the sour rice and crisp textures.
You’ll need a bamboo sushi rolling mat to help guide you as you roll. California rolls are delicious to prepare for lunch or dinner and a great way to get your guests involved at a gathering. Line up the bamboo mats and let your friends roll their own.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sushi rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup, plus 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie)
1/2 teaspoon togarashi seasoning
2/3 cup fresh lump crabmeat, drained and picked over, or medium-size peeled, deveined cooked shrimp, butterflied
2 (8-inch) toasted nori (dried seaweed) sheets, halved
2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
1 small Persian cucumber, cut into 4-inch matchsticks
1 small avocado, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pickled ginger, drained
4 teaspoons wasabi paste
