Arguably the most notorious sushi roll of them all: The California Roll.
This roll has been the “bread and butter” to most sushi bars. This roll is what most people start off with, if they have never tried sushi before (because it doesn’t contain raw fish). This roll is great for introducing your friends and family to the wonderful world of sushi. And what better way to do it than to make a few at home?
Most sushi bars you visit in the United States will have one of these on their menu and the recipes are usually pretty similar.
Here is the list of ingredients you will need:
- Sushi Rice
- Nori (seaweed)
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Heavy mayonnaise
- Crab Salad or crab sticks
- Sesame seeds (black and/or white)
- Cutting board
- A sharp knife
- Masago (Smelt eggs)- optional
Before we get started, I would like to point out that some places prefer to use imitation crab sticks, whereas others will use an imitation crab salad. To make sure that everyone can make their own favorite version of the Cali. Roll, I will show you how to do both.
Making the crab salad is easy!
- You simply take the imitation crab stick (or meat, if it’s not in stick form) and shred it with your hands.
- Place the shredded crab into a mixing bowl and add heavy mayonnaise to taste.
- Mix the mayo and crab until you get a uniform consistency.
The Cali. Roll is always made as an Uramaki:
- If you are using imitation crab sticks, you would simply place two sticks in the center, running the length of your nori. However, if you are using the imitation crab mix (crab salad), you would place about a quarter-wide line (approximately 2cm) across the length of the nori.
- Place 2-3 pieces of avocado on the side of the crab salad closest to you.
- Place 2-3 pieces of cucumber on the side furthest away from you.
- Using your fingers to hold onto the ingredients, slide your thumbs underneath the makisu and roll the edge of the nori forward. You can click on this link for more information on How to Roll Sushi.
Quick Tip: Vegetable placement within the sushi isn’t detrimental. However, if you place your softer vegetables (like avocado) on the side closest to you, it will make the rolling process a lot easier for you!
