California Roll Salad

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 7 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (preferably unhulled)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled ginger
• 4 scallions, cut lengthwise into thin 1 inch strips (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
• 1 large seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise, cored, and chopped (about 1 pound)
• 2 sheets nori (paper-thin sheets of dried seaweed)
• 1 avocado (preferably california)
• 1/4 lb surimi, if desired, sliced thin (mock crab legs) (optional)
• 2 teaspoons wasabi powder (japanese green horseradish)
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ginger juice (squeezed from freshly grated gingerroot)

Recipe

• 1 into a large saucepan of salted boiling water stir rice and boil 10 minutes.
• 2 drain rice in a colander and rinse.
• 3 set colander over a kettle of boiling water (rice should not touch water) and steam rice, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, 10 to 15 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).
• 4 while rice is steaming, in a small saucepan bring 1/4 cup vinegar to a boil with sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat.
• 5 in a dry small skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant and transfer to a small bowl.
• 6 transfer rice to a large bowl and stir in vinegar mixture.
• 7 cool rice and stir in sesame seeds, remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar, oil, ginger, scallions, carrot, and cucumber.
• 8 salad may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• 9 bring salad to room temperature before proceeding.
• 10 dry-roast nori, 1 sheet at a time, directly above moderate heat (gas or electric burner), holding it at opposite corners and moving it back and forth, until it turns bright green, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• 11 with scissors cut nori into thin 2-inch-long strips.
• 12 peel and pit avocado.
• 13 quarter avocado and cut crosswise into thin slices.
• 14 add avocado to salad with surmimi if using and two thirds of nori strips and toss well.
• 15 make dressing: in a small bowl stir wasabi powder into hot water and stir in cold water, soy sauce, and ginger juice.
• 16 serve salad sprinkled with remaining nori strips and drizzled with dressing.