Photo: Chris Skelton "The Dominion Post"

(makes 24 cocktail-size serves)

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

• Place rice into a bowl and rinse under cold running water, moving rice around in water with your hands. Drain rice and return to bowl.
• Add water to the bowl and "knead" rice for 20 seconds or until water is milky.
• Pour rice into a sieve to drain and run cold, running water over rice in sieve until water runs clear.
• Place rice into a rice cooker. Add 600ml water, Kombu and sake. Cover and turn rice cooker switch to 'cook'. When rice is cooked the switch will automatically flick to 'warm'. (Alternatively cook rice in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat until water is absorbed.)
• Gently spread rice into a low-sided tray to cool.
• Mix sugar, salt and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Using a firm spatula cut sugar mixture into rice.
• (If you wish to enhance flavour and texture of nori wave each sheet of nori over a naked flame two or three times on each side.)
• Mix 2nd measure of vinegar and 3 tablespoons water together in a bowl.
• Place a nori sheet, shiny-side down (lengthways) onto sushi mat, or plastic wrap spread out on work surface. Divide rice into three and place first measure onto nori. Wet fingers in vinegar mixture and gently spread rice over nori, leaving a margin of 3cm at the top edge.
• Place a layer of lettuce in a strip horizontally in the centre of rice. Lightly spread lettuce with a little wasabi paste.
• Drizzle avocado with lemon juice and place 3-4 slices along centre of lettuce. Moisten fingers in vinegar mixture and use to moisten top edge nori sheet. Carefully roll sushi.
• Repeat with remaining two nori sheets.

To serve: Dip a sharp knife into vinegar mixture and remove ends of each roll. Cut roll into eight slices and garnish with pickled ginger.