Scrumptious Salmon Onigiri Recipe – Chopstick Chronicles

Japanese rice balls are a well-liked meals for a purpose! They’re wholesome, handy, simple to eat on-the-go and have so many flavors and filling choices you’ll by no means get bored with them. These explicit rice balls are crammed with salmon seasoned with salt. It’s easy however the salty flavour of the salmon matches so nicely with the plain white rice making it tremendous scrumptious. Salmon onigiri are good as half of a bigger meal or in a bento field or on their very own as a snack or gentle meal!

What’s Salmon Onigiri?

Salmon onigiri is a conventional Japanese dish or meals that mixes grilled and flaked salmon with steamed white rice. Onigiri, also called omusubi or rice balls, are a staple in Japanese delicacies and have many different flavour variations together with tuna mayo and umeboshi (pickled plum). Salmon onigiri is without doubt one of the hottest and customary varieties of onigiri as a result of the flavour mixture works so nicely. The salmon used to make such a onigiri is normally salted and is named “Shiosake“.

Salmon onigiri, and different varieties of onigiri, are extremely popular objects at comfort shops as a result of they’re inexpensive, filling, and transportable.  They had been additionally an important meals for me throughout my highschool years. My mom would make salmon onigiri for me whereas I studied and I might sit at my desk with an onigiri in my left hand and pencil in my proper hand.

Substances You’ll Want

To make scrumptious salmon onigiri, you will want the next elements:

• Cooked brief grain rice: Use short-grain white rice or rice labeled as sushi rice. The rice could also be referred to as sushi rice however onigiri is just not sushi. Sushi and onigiri are completely different as a result of sushi is seasoned with rice vinegar and onigiri is just not. The identical rice can be utilized to make each. With a purpose to maintain the form of rice balls, you want sticky rice. See the instruction to prepare dinner rice Japanese approach.
• Salmon: The salmon onigiri you will discover in comfort shops in Japan are crammed with salted salmon. To make that salted salmon, see my recipe for salted salmon.  You possibly can grill, bake, or pan-fry the salmon earlier than including it to the onigiri.
• Nori sheets: These are dried seaweed sheets which can be used to wrap the onigiri. Lower the nori into strips or rectangles for simple dealing with.
• Salt: A small pinch of salt will improve the flavors of the plain rice.
• Non-compulsory toppings: Take into account including toasted sesame seeds, furikake (Japanese seasoning), or kewpie mayonnaise for additional taste.

Make certain to collect all of the elements earlier than you begin making the onigiri. If you’re making salted salmon from scratch, begin making the salted salmon a day earlier than because the salmon must be salted in a single day.

Step by Step Directions

Observe these step-by-step directions to make salmon onigiri:

1. Put together the salmon: Salt the salmon the day earlier than. Grill, bake, or pan-fry the salted salmon till cooked by means of. Alternatively, you need to use leftover cooked salted salmon. Flake or break the cooked salmon to chew dimension and put aside.  
2. Put together the rice: Cook dinner the Japanese brief grain rice (sushi rice) in keeping with the package deal directions.  I normally use my rice cooker however should you don’t have a rice cooker, see this submit to prepare dinner rice and not using a rice cooker. As soon as cooked, let it cool barely earlier than dealing with.
3. Form the Onigiri: listed below are numerous methods to form the onigiri both with a mould or by hand.
4. By hand with plastic wrap – Layer a rice bowl with plastic wrap. Place 1/2 cup of cooked rice. Make a small nicely in the midst of the rice. Place a bit of salmon within the heart. Prime with one other 1/2 cup of rice to cowl the salmon piece. Carry up the plastic wrap and wrap across the rice ball to form.
5. By hand with out plastic wrap – Moist your palms with water to stop the rice from sticking. Place 1/2 cup of cooked rice. Make a small nicely in the midst of the rice. Place a bit of salmon within the heart. Prime with one other 1/2 cup of rice to cowl the salmon piece. Form the rice spherical or triangle by squishing gently along with your palms. 
6. Utilizing an onigiri mould – submerge the onigiri mould in a small bowl of water to moist the mould to keep away from rice sticking to the mould. 
7. Repeat this course of till all of the rice and salmon are used. Learn extra about shaping onigiri right here.
8. Wrap the onigiri: Take a sheet of nori and minimize it into strips or rectangles. Wrap every onigiri with a nori strip.  *You should purchase nori sheets which can be prepared minimize for rice balls in Japanese grocery shops/Asian shops. If it’s not out there, minimize the sushi nori sheets to dimension. I normally minimize sushi nori sheets to 1/3 of the scale.
9. Serve and luxuriate in: Your salmon onigiri is now prepared! Serve them as a snack, bento field addition, or half of a bigger Japanese meal. They are often loved heat or at room temperature.

Variations to Strive

Whereas salmon onigiri is scrumptious by itself, you too can check out completely different variations. Listed here are some concepts:

• Mixing the salmon flakes into the rice: As an alternative of placing the salmon in the midst of the rice ball, you’ll be able to combine it into the rice. Flake the grilled or fried salmon and blend them into the cooked rice earlier than shaping.
• Teriyaki salmon onigiri: Cooking the salmon in teriyaki sauce is an easy but wealthy and flavorful twist to this basic onigiri.
• Miso glazed salmon onigiri: One other taste variation is miso. Cooking the salmon fillet in a candy and savoury miso glaze provides a scrumptious style that goes so nicely with the salmon rice ball.
• In the event you’re on the lookout for extra onigiri flavors, take a look at this roundup of 14 common onigiri fillings together with tempura shrimp and yaki onigiri(grilled onigiri).

What to Serve Salmon Onigiri with ?

• Savory Miso Soup with Tofu and Greens : a heat bowl of miso soup is a comforting and nutritious facet dish. Serve it alongside the salmon onigiri for an entire and balanced meal.
• Hearty Pork Miso Soup : for a heartier possibility, attempt pork miso soup to eat together with the onigiri. It provides a protein enhance and is additional filling.
• Crunchy Asian Slaw: this refreshing and crunchy facet dish mixed with a tangy dressing creates the right distinction to the tender and savory onigiri.
• Zesty Cucumber Sunomono: this cucumber salad is made by pickling cucumber slices. It’s refreshing and lightweight and goes nice with onigiri.
• Shirae Mashed Tofu Salad: The creaminess and barely candy taste of mashed tofu mixed with numerous greens creates a light-weight and refreshing salad that compliments the flavors of the onigiri.

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