Salmon and Avocado Maki Rolls

1. 1Rinse the rice in cold water, swirling with your hand and pouring off the cloudy water, 4 or 5 times until it runs nearly clear. Skipping this leaves surface starch that makes the rice gluey rather than distinct.
2. 2Drain for 20 minutes, then cook with the 360 ml water — covered, brought to the boil, then 12 minutes on the lowest heat and 10 minutes off the heat, lid on throughout. Do not lift the lid.
3. 3Warm the vinegar, sugar and salt together until dissolved. Tip the hot rice into a wide non-metallic tray, pour the seasoning over a spatula to distribute it, and fold it through with slicing motions rather than stirring. Stirring crushes the grains into paste.
4. 4Fan the rice as you fold until it cools to around body temperature and turns glossy. It should be sticky but not warm-wet. Cover with a damp cloth and never put it in the fridge.
5. 5Lay a nori sheet shiny-side down on a bamboo mat covered in clingfilm. With wet hands, spread a thin, even layer of rice over it, leaving a 2 cm bare strip along the far edge for sealing.
6. 6Lay the salmon, avocado and cucumber in a line across the rice a third of the way up. Resist overfilling — the single most common reason rolls burst.
7. 7Lift the near edge of the mat and roll it over the filling, tucking firmly as you go, then continue rolling and squeezing gently to compact it. Dab the bare nori strip with water to seal.
8. 8Rest the rolls seam-side down for a couple of minutes, then slice each into 6 with a very sharp knife wiped with a damp cloth between every single cut. A sticky blade drags and squashes the roll rather than slicing it.
9. 9Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger and soy sauce.

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