Kimbap

Method

1. 1Cook 300 g of short-grain rice and let it cool to just warm. Season it with the sesame oil, a little salt, and the sesame seeds — not vinegar. Sesame oil instead of vinegar is the key difference between kimbap rice and sushi rice.
2. 2Prepare the fillings separately. Julienne the carrot and stir-fry it in a little oil with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. Blanch the spinach, squeeze it dry, and season with a drop of sesame oil and salt.
3. 3Beat the eggs, fry them into a thin flat omelette, and slice into long strips. Cut the pickled radish, cucumber, and imitation crab into long strips the length of the nori sheet. Put the soy sauce, sugar, and 1 tbsp of water in a small pan, add the crab strips, and toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the liquid has cooked off and they look glazed; let them cool.
4. 4Place a sheet of nori shiny-side down on a bamboo mat. Spread a thin, even layer of rice over the bottom two-thirds, leaving the top third bare so the roll can seal.
5. 5Lay the fillings in a tight row across the rice about a third of the way up: radish, carrot, spinach, egg, crab, and cucumber. Don't overfill, or the roll won't close.
6. 6Lift the mat edge nearest you and roll away from you, tucking the fillings in firmly and pressing as you go, until the bare nori seals the roll. Press the finished roll gently along its length to firm it up.
7. 7Brush the outside with a little sesame oil and scatter with sesame seeds. With a sharp, wet knife, slice into rounds about 1.5 cm thick, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve at room temperature.