Kid Friendly

RECIPE INFO

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw white short-grain Japanese-style sticky rice, or “sushi” rice (available in oriental markets and many supermarkets)
About 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1⁄2 large English cucumber (sometimes called seedless cucumber)
1 large ripe avocado
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 8- by 7-inch pieces of toasted nori (dried toasted laver seaweed, available in oriental markets)
6 ounces cooked OCI Crab Leg meat, thawed if frozen, picked over
Wasabi (Japanese green horseradish, available in oriental markets)
Soy sauce
Pickled ginger (available in oriental markets and some supermarkets)

METHOD

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Transfer the rice, while still hot, to a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle the rice with as much of the vinegar as necessary to moisten it lightly, tossing it carefully. Cover the seasoned rice with a dampened cloth and keep it at room temperature until ready to use (no more than 2 hours).

Peel the cucumber and cut it in half length-wise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard them. Then cut the cucumber lengthwise into 1⁄4-inch strips. Peel and pit the avocado. Cut it into 1⁄4-inch-thick strips. Place the lemon juice in a small shallow bowl. Add the avocado strips and toss them about with a spoon to coat them with the lemon juice.

Working with one sheet of nori at a time, and with a long side facing you, spread about 3⁄4 cup of the rice in an even layer on each sheet, leaving a 1⁄2-inch border on the long sides. Arrange 1⁄4 of the avocado strips horizontally across the middle of the rice and arrange 1⁄4 of the cucumber strips and 1⁄4 of the crabmeat on top of the avocado. Dab the crabmeat with a small amount of the wasabi. Beginning with a long side, roll up the nori tightly jelly-roll fashion. Repeat the procedure for the remaining sheets of nori. As each roll is assembled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Chill the rolls for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

When ready to serve, cut each roll with a sharp knife into 3⁄4-inch-thick slices and lay the slices side by side on a platter. Serve the sushi rolls with small bowls of soy sauce, additional wasabi and pickled ginger.

SERVINGS: 0