• Thaw the eel fillet by putting it in the fridge the night before you plan to use it. If you are in a time crunch, you can also thaw it quickly by running the package through warm water.

Cook Sushi Rice

• Rinse 1 2/3 cups of sushi rice by placing it in a colander and running water through it until the water is clear.
• After the rice is rinsed, add it to a sauce pan with 1 2/3 cups of water (I would check the instructions on the sushi rice package to see exactly how much water to add as it can vary depending on the brand).
• Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
• Remove the rice and place into a bowl or dish and let cool. I would line the dish with parchment paper prior to adding the rice to avoid sticking.
• Mix 1/4 cup of sushi vinegar into your rice. Stir until it has absorbed into the rice. Once cooled and fully absorbed, your rice is ready to roll!

Prepare the Eel (Unagi) Sauce

• Combine soy sauce, sugar, and mirin into a sauce pan and heat on medium heat. Mix together as the pan heats up until the mixture is combined.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer.
• Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool. You will notice it thickening as it cools.

Prepare the Eel

• Remove the thawed eel fillet from the package and place it on a plate.
• Wipe the existing sauce from the eel with a paper towel or cloth. Many chefs don't do this but I don't love the sauce that comes on the eel. I instead prefer to add my own unagi sauce both inside the sushi roll with the fillings and as a dipping sauce served with the finished roll.
• Once the sauce is removed, slice the eel in half down the center creating two long fillets.
• Place half of the sushi at a 45 degree angle and cut into slices an inch or so wide and around 3 inches long. When cutting, tilt your knife at a 45 degree angle and straighten the knife when you hit the skin.
• Add the eel strips to a greased baking sheet with the skin side up and broil on high heat for six minutes. Place on top rack so it's around 9 inches from the heat.
• After broiling, quickly remove the eel from the baking sheet and place on a plate to be used in the sushi later.

Assemble the Caterpillar Rolls

• Prepare your bamboo sushi mat: Cover your bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. This will help keep the rice from sticking to it.
• Press rice onto nori sheets: Next, place the nori sheet onto the plastic wrap with the shiny side facing down. Then press around 1 cup of rice onto the nori sheet in an even layer. Tip: Wet your hands in a bowl of water mixed with a splash of rice vinegar prior to handling the sushi rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
• Cut the cucumber: Slice the cucumbers into strips that are as long as your nori sheet and about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut the avocado: Slice one avocado in half the long way. Remove the seed and cut each half into 6 slices. Each whole avocado should yield around 12 slices.

  I often cut the slices right out of the avocado half and add directly to the roll to ensure freshness. You can also drizzle a little lemon juice over your cut avocado to prevent it from browning in your roll.
• Add the avocado and cucumber: Add the avocado slices and cucumber sticks horizontally along the nori sheet. In general, I add 2-4 avocado slices and 1-2 cucumber sticks depending on the size of each ingredient and how everything fits.
• Add the eel: Add a single row of eel slices to the unagi roll. I usually add around three or four pieces but how many depends on the size of each piece.
• Drizzle the filling with unagi (eel) sauce: Drizzle a line of the unagi (eel) sauce over the eel pieces in the filling.
• Roll the sushi: Use the bamboo sushi mat to fold your roll until it is completely enclosed. Once the rice is making contact with the nori sheet, pull back the sushi mat so it doesn't get caught in the roll. Still using the sushi mat as your guide, finish rolling until the roll is completely wrapped. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and gently tighten the roll together.

  Keep in mind that rolling sushi is an art that may take some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect your first time. It will get easier the more you do it.

  Tip: Check out the video for a demonstration on how to roll sushi.
• Cut the remaining avocados and place on top of the roll: The remaining 2 avocados need to be sliced thinly to be added to the top of each roll. To do this, cut in half the long way and remove the skin and seed. Then cut each half into thin slices going the short way of the avocado. Cut the slices as thin as you can or around 1-2 millimeters thick. Once cut, use your hand to gently push the avocados to the side so they fold over on top of each other. Then place all the slices of one half of the avocado on top of your roll. I would also drizzle lemon juice over the avocado after cutting to prevent it from browning on your sushi roll.
• Use the bamboo sushi mat to press the avocado slices onto the roll: Since the avocado slices have a tendency to come apart, I would suggest covering the roll in plastic wrap first. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and firmly press the mat onto the roll, forming the avocado slices to the top of the roll. Leave the plastic wrap on the roll for cutting.
• Cut the roll: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces through the plastic wrap. I do this by first cutting the roll in half. Then cutting each half in half. Then cutting each fourth in half. This should give you 8 pieces that are equal size. Once done cutting, remove the plastic from each of the pieces. Tip: Be sure to clean and wet the edge of your knife before cutting each roll. This will prevent the roll from sticking to your knife.
• Garnish with Sesame Seeds (optional): I like to sprinkle sesame seeds over the roll before serving. You can also drizzle unagi sauce over the roll as well.
• Serve and enjoy: In addition to unagi (eel) sauce, you can also serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger.