California Rolls

• 250 g sushi Japanese rice
• 250 ml cold water
• For the seasoned vinegar mix
• 100 ml Japanese rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar or cane sugar syrup
• ½ tbsp (10 g) salt
• For the filling
• 2 sushi nori sheets (dried sea vegetable)
• 100 g “Tobiko” Japanese flying fish roes (optional)
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 200 g fresh cooked crab meat
• ½ ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• ¼ cucumber, thinly slice

Rinse the rice in a sieve under running cold water. A quick rinse is sufficient. Place the rice in the bowl and add the water. Select the RICE/CEREAL function and close the lid. Meanwhile gently heat the vinegar, water, sugar or syrup and salt in a saucepan, without bringing to the boil, until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool and pour into a jug.

When the appliance automatically switches to Keep Warm (after about 45 minutes), keep the lid closed and leave on keep warm for 10 minutes. Press CANCEL, open the lid and leave the rice to stand for 10 minutes in the appliance.

Put the rice in a hangiri or a wide, relatively shallow dish and cool it down using a fan or sheet of paper. Pour 6 tablespoons of seasoned vinegar over the rice, stirring gently to avoid crushing the grains. Use immediately to make sushi. Yields 500 g cooked sushi rice.

Fold the seaweed sheets in half widthways, and then cut along the fold using sharp scissors. Place half a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat with the shiny side down. Spread 1 tablespoon of rice evenly over nori sheet.

Use 1 tablespoon of roe and spread it over the entire surface. Flip it over.

Spread the other side of the nori sheet with a little mayonnaise, evenly cover with a quarter of the crab meat, sliced avocado and cucumber.

Begin rolling the mat from the near edge, keeping the filling in place with your hands. Roll firmly, but do not roll too tightly otherwise the rice will come out of the sides. Once you have formed the roll, squeeze it to form a square or circular shape.

Remove from the roll and cut into 6 pieces. Repeat three more times with the remaining ingredients. Serve with cucumber purée, wafer thin smoked salmon and soy sauce.