Salmon Onigiri

A great Salmon Onigiri is like a warm hug from home, and I'm sharing all my tricks to make tender flakes of salt-cured salmon wrapped in a layer of fluffy rice and crisp, briny nori.

Course Sides

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword bento

Level Beginner

Main Ingredient Fish, Rice

Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Pescatarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Curing time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings onigiri

Calories 163kcal

Author Marc Matsumoto

Equipment

Ingredients

5 grams salt (about 1 teaspoon)
200 grams salmon filets
2 tablespoons sake
2 rice cooker cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice
2 sheets nori (cut into 3 strips)
salt (to taste)

Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

Line a tray with a few layers of paper towels and set 200 grams salmon filets on top. Apply 5 grams salt to every surface of the salmon in an even layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight to cure.
200 grams salmon filets, 5 grams salt
To cook the salmon, place it in a non-stick frying pan with the skin side down and add 2 tablespoons sake.
2 tablespoons sake
Cover the pan with a lid and turn on the heat to medium-high. Bring the sake to a rolling boil and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Set a timer for 3 minutes.
When the timer is up, remove the lid, transfer the salmon to a clean prep surface, and let it cool enough to handle.
Remove the skin and any pin bones from the salmon and break it up into flakes using your fingers.
Once all of the salmon is flaked, you can rub the flakes with your fingertips to make the flakes even smaller.
To make the salmon onigiri you'll need 2 rice cooker cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice. Place a sheet of plastic wrap in front of you and sprinkle it with a pinch of salt. Add a mound of rice to the center of the wrap and make a well in the center using a spoon. Fill the well with a generous amount of salmon.
2 rice cooker cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice, salt
Mound some more rice onto the salmon to cover it up.
Fold the bottom edge of the wrap over the rice and then fold the top corners down to make a triangular bundle to give the salmon rice balls a rough shape.
Now, shape one hand into a valley and place the onigiri in it. Use your other hand to make a mountain and gently press it against the onigiri to compress the rice. Flip the onigiri onto a different side and repeat the process so the rice sticks together, but do not over-squeeze it, or the onigiri will become dense and heavy.
For the nori, I recommend wrapping the onigiri just before eating it so the nori stays crisp. Place a strip of nori with the shiny side facing outwards along the back of the rice.
2 sheets nori
Fold the edges of the nori over the sides of the onigiri until they meet in front of the rice. Gently press the edges into the rice to make them stick together.

Video

Nutrition