TRADITIONAL JAPANESE RECIPE: A California roll is a fresh take on traditional Japanese rice rolls. Filled with avocado, crab, and cucumber, it's fresh and crunchy and makes a filling meal. The real secret to making the best California Roll in the world is: filled with savory crab and creamy avocado.
The most widely accepted view by food historians attributes the invention to Ichiro Mashita, sushi chef at the Tokyo Kaikan in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, United States. According to this account, Mashita began substituting avocado for toro (fatty tuna) in the off-season, and after further experimentation, developed the prototype, back in the 1960s (or early 1970s).
The early recipe used only frozen king crab legs, since surimi imitation crab was not yet available. Cucumber, mayonnaise, and sesame seed were missing; these ingredients were all added later. The original California roll was wrapped traditional style, with the nori seaweed on the outside, which American customers tended to peel off. So eventually the roll "inside-out", i.e. uramaki version was developed. This adaptation has also been credited to Mashita by figures associated with the restaurant.
A rivaling claim is that the California roll was actually created in Canada, by Chef Hidekazu Tojo, a Japanese native who moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in August 1971. Tojo insists he is the innovator of the "inside-out" sushi, and it got the name "California roll" because it was popular with patrons from Los Angeles. His original claims of invention don't even touch on the use of avocado, essential to the California roll.
Skill Level:  |
Time: 40 Minutes |
Price:  |
Serves: 4 People |
Ingredients:
| Conversions |
Directions:
01 - Slice the end off of the cucumber, then cut into quarters lengthways. Thinly slice each quarter lengthways to make spears.
02 - Combine the mayonnaise and chopped crabsticks.
03 - Lay a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat. With wet hands, pat a thin, even layer of rice over the nori, leaving a 1cm edge at the bottom. Sprinkle rice with sesame seeds. Carefully flip over.
04 - About 1/3 of the way from the top of the nori sheet, add the crab mixture in a line across the sheet. Layer with 1 to 2 cucumber spears and 1 to 3 slices of avocado.
05 - Using the bamboo mat, roll the sheet tightly into a cylinder, starting at the top edge. Once at the bottom, moisten the uncovered edge with water and finish rolling. Repeat with remaining three sheets of nori.
06 - Slice each roll into 2cm / 1.2in pieces. Garnish each piece with 1 tsp or tobiko.
Notes:
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.
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| Written by: Uncut Recipes | Disclaimer |
