Japanese: Makizushi

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(makes 1 maki roll)

California roll ingredients:

• Required equipment: bamboo rolling mat wrapped with clear plastic wrap
• Water
• 1 sheet nori (toasted seaweed sheet), about 8 inches wide by 7 inches long (but  may be cut to shorter length for smaller rolls)
• 1 cup (approx) cooked sushi rice (see recipe)
• ¼ Persian cucumber, julienned
• 1 crab stick
• 2-3 wedges of ripe avocado
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (black preferred)
• Soy sauce, pickled ginger, wasabi (for serving)

Procedure (see video):

1. Prepare a large finger bowl with warm water
2. Place the nori sheet on wrapped bamboo mat (shiny side down)
3. Wet your hands, then grab a handful of cooked rice and form a pool-ball sized ball
4. Place the rice ball on the nori sheet, then spread out to form a log
5. Split the rice log in half and spread evenly over nori sheet with your thumbs (press down gently, but hard enough to make sure the rice layer will stick together and not fall apart)
6. Optional (to make an “inside-out roll”): sprinkle sesame seeds on top of rice, then flip nori sheet over
7. Position nori about 1 inch from the bottom of the mat
8. Add veggies first, then other ingredients (position stuffing about 1 inch from bottom of nori sheet)
9. Start rolling the bamboo mat from bottom to top (away from you); as the ingredients get covered with the first roll, pause and squeeze the roll
10. Continue rolling the mat until you have a log (squeeze again with each rotation to mold the roll into a round log)
11. Clean up the edges by tucking in the ingredients with the help of your mat
12. Wet your knife and cut the roll in half; wet your knife again, then cut the half rolls into quarters; repeat to make 8 pieces total
13. Using your mat, squeeze the cut log again to “tighten” your roll (important!)
14. Transfer to serving plate; add pickled ginger and wasabi; serve with a small dish of soy sauce

Note: Makizushi rolls can contain almost anything, but the tradition is to use mostly seafood and veggies. Besides toasted sesame seeds, fish eggs are often used for garnish on the outside. Although the ends can be tucked in, you also have the option of having some ingredients stick out of the end pieces.

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