Inside-Out Rolls (California Rolls)

Ingredients

• 300 g sushi rice
• 1 piece kombu seaweed (about 8 x 8 cm)
• 4 tbsp Rice vinegar
• Salt
• 1 tsp raw cane sugar
• 50 g sesame seeds
• 1 salad cucumber
• 1 ripe Avocado
• 8 tbsp lemon juice
• 300 g surimi
• 4 nori sheets
• soy sauce (for serving)
• wasabi (for serving)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the rice thoroughly under running water in a sieve until the water runs clear.

2. 2.

   Bring rice, 450 ml water, and kombu seaweed to a boil over high heat in a pot; then simmer covered on low heat for about 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time. Remove from heat and let the rice rest uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes.

3. 3.

   Heat the rice vinegar and stir in ½ tsp salt and sugar. Transfer the cooked rice to a bowl, remove the kombu seaweed, and drizzle the seasoning mixture over the rice while gently folding it with a wooden spoon. Fan the rice to cool quickly to room temperature and give it a shiny finish.

4. 4.

   For the California rolls toast sesame seeds in an empty pan until lightly browned. Peel the cucumber, cut it lengthwise into halves, remove the seeds with a spoon, and slice the flesh into strips. Sprinkle the cucumber strips with salt and let them sit for 15 minutes, then rinse under cold water and pat dry. Peel the avocado, halve it, remove the pit, slice the flesh into strips, and drizzle with lemon juice.

5. 5.

   Place one nori sheet on a bamboo mat and spread sushi rice over it, leaving about 1 cm of space at the top and bottom edges. Cover the rice with cling film, flip the nori so that the rice faces the bamboo mat, then lay avocado strips on the lower third of the nori, spread surimi over them, and place cucumber strips above the surimi.

6. 6.

   Using the bamboo mat, roll tightly and press firmly to seal the ends. Remove the cling film, squeeze the ends together, then roll the sushi in toasted sesame seeds. Slice each roll into 6–8 pieces with a sharp knife. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to form three more rolls. Serve the California rolls with soy sauce and wasabi.