Salmon and Avocado Maki Rolls

Ingredients

• •200 g raw salmon sold for raw consumption, commercially frozen for parasite destruction (see tip), skin removed
• •300 g (1½ cups) Japanese short-grain sushi rice, uncooked
• •360 ml (1½ cups) cold water
• •3 tbsp rice vinegar
• •1 tbsp caster sugar
• •1 tsp fine salt
• •1 large ripe avocado, halved, stoned, and peeled
• •4 sheets nori (dried seaweed), full size

Directions

1. 1BUY SAFE FISH FIRST — purchase salmon only from a fishmonger or counter that sells it explicitly for raw consumption, and ask the staff directly to confirm it was commercially frozen to destroy parasites. Fresh, never-frozen fish is NOT a safe substitute no matter how good it looks or smells. The term 'sushi-grade' has no legal definition and is purely a marketing phrase; what matters is confirmed commercial freezing. Keep the salmon refrigerated until the moment you slice it, and eat the finished rolls the same day they are made.
2. 2Rinse the sushi rice in cold water, swirling and draining repeatedly until the water runs nearly clear, then cook it with the measured cold water in a lidded saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to the lowest heat, cover, and cook until all water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let it steam, still covered, for 10 minutes.
3. 3While the rice steams, combine rice vinegar, caster sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring just until the sugar and salt dissolve; remove from heat immediately and allow to cool slightly.
4. 4Turn the hot rice out into a wide, shallow non-metallic bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over it and fold gently with a rice paddle or flat spatula using slicing motions — do not stir — while fanning to cool the rice to just above room temperature. The rice should be glossy and slightly sticky. Allow to rest, covered with a damp cloth, until cool enough to handle.
5. 5Slice the avocado into long, thin strips and slice the cold salmon into neat batons roughly 1 cm thick; keep the salmon refrigerated until the instant you need it.
6. 6Place a bamboo rolling mat on your work surface with a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on top. With damp hands, spread an even, thin layer of seasoned rice over the nori, leaving a 2 cm bare strip along the far edge. Lay a line of salmon and a line of avocado strips horizontally across the near third of the rice.
7. 7Lift the near edge of the mat and roll it tightly away from you, pressing firmly to compact the roll; use the bare nori strip to seal the roll by pressing gently. Set aside seam-side down and repeat with remaining nori, rice, and fillings.
8. 8Using a very sharp knife wiped clean with a damp cloth between every single cut, slice each roll in half, then cut each half into three equal pieces, giving six pieces per roll. Arrange cut-side up and serve immediately with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi if desired.

💡 The supplier — not you — must have frozen the salmon to the standard that destroys parasites: approximately -20°C for seven days, or approximately -35°C for fifteen hours; confirm this with your fishmonger before buying.

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