The buttery feel of avocado across the palate inspired sushi chefs in the ’70s, when an ingredient with a similar texture was nearly impossible to obtain in California. California Rolls get their name from the avocados they contain—the fruits grow abundantly there.
Rice Prep Time: Up to 1½ hours
Sushi Prep Time: 15 minutes
Makes 4 rolls (32 pieces)
Four 4 x 7-in (10 x 18-cm) nori sheets
3 cups (600 g) Traditional Sushi Rice or Brown Sushi Rice
½ avocado, cut into 8 slices
1 English or Japanese cucumber, deseeded and cut into matchsticks
2 oz (60 g) daikon sprouts (kaiware) or pea sprouts
4 tablespoons Faux Roe
Place the nori directly on your cutting board, making sure that the long end is parallel to the bottom of the board and the rough side is facing upwards.
Wet your fingertips lightly in cool water and spread about ¾ cup (150 g) of sushi rice evenly over the entire surface of the nori.
Flip the nori over so that the rice is face down on the cutting board. Top with 2 avocado slices, making sure they extend to both edges of the nori. Add ¼ of the cucumber and daikon sprouts. Wet your fingertips again and slide your thumbs underneath the nori while grasping fillings with all other fingertips. Roll the bottom of the nori just over the fillings, making sure to tightly tuck the fillings under the fold.
Continue rolling and tucking until the roll is completed. Use the bamboo rolling mat covered in plastic wrap to gently shape the roll, pressing forefingers on top of the mat while simultaneously pressing your thumbs and middle fingers into the sides.
Place the roll seam-side down on the cutting board. Dip the tip of a very sharp knife in water and allow the water to run down the blade. Cut the roll into 8 pieces using a swift sawing motion. Spread 1 tablespoon of the Faux Roe across the top of the cut pieces. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more rolls.
