Yard House California Roll Recipe
Make this Yard House California Roll Recipe at home with sushi rice, crab cake, avocado, cucumber, nori, and masago. The rice-outside technique takes a little care, but you can have 8 neat sushi pieces ready in about 30 minutes. This homemade California roll has the cool crunch, creamy avocado, savory crab, and salty masago you expect from a restaurant-style roll. Serve yours with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi for an easy sushi-style meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 sheet sushi nori seaweed, rough side facing up
- 3/4 cup cooked sushi rice cooled to room temperature
- 1/4 cup crab cake flaked into small pieces
- 1/4 avocado
- 1/4 small cucumber
- 1 tablespoon masago seasoned smelt roe
Instructions
- Step 1 - Prepare the Cucumber: Cut the cucumber in half, then slice it lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the center and cut the cucumber into thin julienne strips. Keep the strips long and even so they are easy to place inside the roll.
- Step 2 - Prepare the Avocado: Remove the stem end from the avocado. Cut around the avocado in a full 360-degree circle, then twist the two sides apart. Slice the avocado into thin pieces that will fit neatly across the nori.
- Step 3 - Set Up the Nori: Place half a sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi mat with the rough side facing upward. Position the nori so you have enough room to spread the rice evenly across the entire sheet.
- Step 4 - Spread the Rice: Spread the cooked sushi rice evenly over the nori, covering the edges and corners with a thin, even layer. Work gently so you do not tear the nori. The rice will become the outside of the California roll.
- Step 5 - Flip the Nori: Carefully flip the nori and rice over on the bamboo mat so the rice is facing down and the plain side of the nori is facing up. This inside-out arrangement puts the rice on the outside of the finished roll.
- Step 6 - Add the Filling: Place the crab cake, avocado slices, and julienne cucumber in a line across the nori. Keep the filling close enough to the edge to make the first fold easy, but leave enough room to roll it without pushing the ingredients out.
- Step 7 - Roll the California Roll: Pick up the bamboo mat with your thumb while holding the filling in place with your fingers. Bring the edge of the nori and rice over the filling, then continue rolling forward while applying gentle, even pressure. Make the roll tight as you go so the filling stays together. Lift the mat as needed while rolling, then shape the finished roll neatly with the bamboo mat.
- Step 8 - Add the Masago: Sprinkle or press masago over the outside of the completed roll. The masago adds the seasoned smelt roe coating shown in the video and gives the California roll its finished appearance.
- Step 9 - Cut the Roll: Use a sharp knife to cut the roll in half first. Bring the two halves together, then cut through the center again. Continue cutting each section in half until you have 8 evenly sized pieces. Wipe the knife clean between cuts if the rice begins sticking to the blade.