California Roll Salad

Number of Servings: 6-8

Salad Ingredients:

½ cup (125 mL) sushi rice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) granulated sugar

1 -2 tablespoons (15-30 mL) Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise, or use regular mayo
1- 1 ½ teaspoons (5-7 mL) wasabi powder
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper

1 can (120 g) crabmeat, drained, cut into chunks, or loosely shredded
1 avocado, peeled, and cut into bite-size chunks
½ of the English cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, cut into small pieces
1 carrot, shredded, or cut into ‘matchstick’ pieces
¼ cup finely chopped green onion, chives, or scallions
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper

Side-Salad:   Pickled Ginger Mini-Salad:

½ cup of sliced pickled ginger (drained, juice retained)
2-3 tablespoons of very thinly sliced radishes, cut into ‘matchsticks’
2-3 tablespoons of very thinly sliced cucumber, cut into ‘matchsticks’

Vinaigrette for pickled ginger salad:

1 tablespoon (15 mL) reserved pickled ginger juice
1 teaspoon (5 mL) sweet mirin
1 teaspoon (5 mL) rice vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) sesame oil
Sea salt
2 teaspoons (10 mL) toasted black or white sesame seeds

Garnish over all:   Thin strips of dry-roasted seaweed (nori);  black and white sesame seeds

Method:

1. Prepare rice:  Rinse rice in cold water; drain. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt; add rice. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes (or cook as directed on the package). Remove from heat; drain rice, give it a very quick rinse of cold water.   Spread out on a parchment-covered baking sheet to cool.
2. While rice is cooking, mix together the rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over warm rice and gently stir to combine. When rice has cooled to room temperature, place in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the wasabi powder and the mayonnaise. Use taste as a guide to the amount of wasabi powder to use. Very gently, stir into the rice. Add more mayonnaise if it seems too dry.   Refrigerate for ½ hour before adding remaining ingredients (can be refrigerated longer – up to a day).
4. Make the pickled ginger side-salad: Combine the pickled ginger slices, sliced radishes and cucumbers in a small bowl.   In another bowl, mix together the ginger juice, mirin, rice vinegar. Whisk in oil. Season to taste. Pour the vinaigrette over the ginger and toss to mix.
5. At serving time, add the crabmeat, cucumber, avocado, carrot, and green onions to the rice mixture. Gently fold in.   Add a little more mayonnaise if the mixture is too thick.
6. Divide rice salad among the salad plates (a molded presentation works well with this salad). With a scissor or a very sharp knife, cut some very thin strips of toasted nori and sprinkle on top of each salad serving. Beside the rice salad, place a little clump of the sliced ginger side-salad.
7. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over all.

Questions and comments are always welcome     alex@chilipeppersandpears.com ^[1]