Some people say that the California inside-out roll was invented in Los Angeles during the early 1960s for people new to sushi bars. The California inside-out roll became (and remains) hugely popular.
California Inside-Out Roll
Special sushi tools: Bamboo mat wrapped with plastic wrap, sashimi knife
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 inside-out rolls (24 pieces)
1 ounce (1/4 cup) smelt roe
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
1/2 Japanese cucumber
1 ounce daikon sprouts or other radish sprouts
4 ounces kani kama (imitation crabmeat), preferably leg-style
1 avocado
4 sheets nori
4 cups prepared sushi rice
8 teaspoons reroasted white sesame seeds
Soy sauce
Pickled ginger
Thinly slice the scallions.
Gently stir the smelt roe, mayonnaise, and 2 tablespoons scallions together in a small bowl.
Refrigerate if not used right away.
Sliver the cucumber.
Rinse, dry, and trim the roots off the daikon sprouts.
Split 4 leg-style pieces of kani kama in half lengthwise.
Peel and slice the avocado.
Cut the avocado just before making the rolls, not ahead of time, to avoid discoloration.
Cut a 3-inch-wide strip off each sheet of nori, making them 5 x 7 inches.
Lay a plastic-wrapped bamboo mat in front of you, with its slats parallel to the edge of the table or countertop.
Place a trimmed sheet of nori lengthwise, shiny-side down, on the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you.
Dip your hands in a bowl of vinegared water and then tap your fingertips on a damp towel next to you to remove excess water.
Press 1 cup of prepared sushi rice evenly over the nori.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of reroasted sesame seeds over the rice.
Gently reroasting (or retoasting) the seeds brings out more toasty flavor.
Pick up the nori, turn it over, and place it rice-side down, lengthwise, on the closest edge of the bamboo mat.
Spread one-fourth of the smelt roe mayonnaise sauce across the length of the nori.
Not in the exact center, but a little closer to you.
Cover the sauce with one-fourth of the radish sprouts.
Let some of their little leaves extend out of the ends of the nori.
Lay one-fourth of the kani kama on top of the sprouts.
Bunch one-fourth of the slivered cucumber as close to the kani kama as possible.
Lay one-fourth of the avocado slices as close to the other fillings as possible.
Lift the mat’s edge closest to you with both hands, keeping your fingertips over the fillings, and roll the mat and its contents until the edge of the mat touches straight down on the nori, enclosing the fillings completely.
Lift up the edge of the mat you’re holding.
Otherwise, you’ll roll the mat into your sushi!
Continue rolling the inside-out roll away from you until it’s sealed.
Tug on the mat three times to tighten the seal.
Tug once in the center, then once on each side.
Place the roll on a damp, clean, smooth surface and lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the roll.
Slice the roll into 6 equal bite-size pieces, wiping your knife with a damp towel before each slice.
Discard the plastic wrap when you finish slicing.
Make 3 more rolls, following Steps 8 through 24.
Serve slices with soy sauce as a dipping sauce, and pickled ginger to cleanse the palate.
Per piece: Calories 100 (From fat 25); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 9mg; Sodium 1,357mg; Carbohydrate 14g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 4g.