California Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

• 1¾ ups (435 ml) sushi rice
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) rice vinegar
• 1½ Tbsp (22 ml) sugar
• 1½ tsp (7 ml) salt
• 2½ cups (625 ml) cold water

• 3 nori sheets
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) mayonnaise
• ¾ cup (185 ml) crabmeat
• 1 small, ripe, peeled avocado, cut into thin wedges
• wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger to taste

The Rice
1. Rinse the rice under cold running water, rubbing the grains together until the water runs clear. Cover the rice with cold water and soak for 30 minutes. While the rice is soaking, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature and set aside.
2. Drain the soaked rice well and place in a pot with the 2½ cups (625 ml) cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
3. Spoon the rice into a large, shallow-sided pan, spreading it out in a thin layer to help it cool quickly. Stir in the vinegar mixture. When the rice has cooled to room temperature it is ready to use.
The Rolls
4. Cover a sushi roller with plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori on the plastic wrap. Moisten your hands with cold water, and then spread a third of the rice on the nori, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) strip at the top of the nori. Spread a thin line of mayonnaise on the rice about a third of the way up. Top with a third of the crabmeat and avocado wedges. (If preparing the sushi rolls in advance, rub the avocado wedges with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.)
5. Roll up the nori and filling in jelly-roll fashion, squeezing on the bamboo roller to compact the rice and filling as you go. Cut the roll into 8 pieces. Repeat with the remaining nori, rice and filling ingredients. Serve with wasabi for spicing up the sushi, soy sauce for dipping and pickled ginger for cleansing your palate.