Rainbow Rolls
A rainbow roll is not a separate recipe but a California roll with a top: the same crab sticks and cucumber inside, and bands of colour laid over the outside. It is done in one movement through cling film, and that movement decides whether you get a rainbow or a mess.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Challenging
- Per serving
- 420 kcal
Ingredients
The rolls
The top
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What to use instead
Smoked eel or strips of tamagoyaki sit well in place of the prawns — both give a third colour and neither asks for raw fish.
Makes: 4 rolls of 8 pieces, 32 in all
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Cut the top in advance
Cut the salmon into 3 mm slices and the avocado thinly, and halve the prawns lengthways. Lay everything out on a board in the order it will go onto the roll, so you do not lose the sequence halfway through.
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Step 2: Roll the base
Cover the mat with two layers of cling film. Spread 120 g of rice over half a sheet of nori to the edges, flip it rice down, lay the crab mixture and the cucumber and roll, squeezing along the whole length.
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Step 3: Build the rainbow on film
On a separate piece of cling film lay the slices overlapping in bands: salmon first, then the prawns, then the avocado. The band should be as long as the roll and a little wider than it.
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Step 4: Transfer it onto the roll
Lift the film with the rainbow on it in both hands, turn it straight over onto the roll and press it down with your palm. The film peels off afterwards and the top stays exactly as you built it. Laying slices onto the roll one at a time is the fastest way to ruin the pattern.
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Step 5: Firm it with the mat
Cover the roll with film and go over it with the mat, pressing lightly so the top wraps the sides. A few seconds of even pressure and the fish and avocado become part of the roll rather than a hat on it.
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Step 6: Cut through the film
Leaving the film on, wet a long sharp knife and cut the roll in half, then each half into four. Peel the film off the pieces — without it the top slides at the first stroke.
Tips & variations
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Tip
The rainbow is built on a separate sheet of film and carried over whole. That is the one trick in this recipe: otherwise each new slice pushes the last one along and the bands come out crooked.
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Variation
The classic version uses several different fish on top: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, snapper. Only salmon and trout are sold lightly salted here, so the colour comes from prawn and avocado as well.
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Swap
Smoked eel or strips of tamagoyaki sit well in place of the prawns — both give a third colour and neither asks for raw fish.
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Storage
Not kept: the avocado darkens and the fish gives moisture up to the rice. The base can be rolled half an hour ahead and held under film, with the top laid on just before serving.
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Tip
The slices have to be thin and even. A thick slice of salmon will not wrap the roll, stands on its edge and drags its neighbours with it.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 420 kcal | 1,680 kcal |
| Protein | 20 g | 80 g |
| Fat | 14 g | 56 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g | 208 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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