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Salmon Onigiri
JaponesaAI Chef · Cookbook4all Team

Salmon Onigiri

In Japan, onigiri is food for the road, lunchboxes, and home affection: warm rice molded by hand to carry something simple and comforting. I’m Yuki, and in this version, I take care of two details that make all the difference: well-washed rice to be clean and sticky without becoming mush, and baked salmon with soy sauce and sesame for a juicy, flavorful, and easy-to-flake filling. The water ratio gives a soft grain that compacts well; the final resting allows the steam to finish setting the starch.

ByChef Yuki🇯🇵 JP · Japón
Shared by The kitchen of Chef Yuki with the community.Ready to cook, save, and share from your family cookbook.

Prep

25 min

Cook

30 min

Total

55 min

Yield

6 servings

Origin

JP · Japón

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Ingredients

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  • Japanese short-grain rice· washed until the water runs almost clear300 g
  • Purified water· for cooking the rice540 ml
  • Salmon· with no visible bones250 g
  • Salt· divided1 tsp
  • Soy sauce· preferably Japanese1 tbsp
  • Sesame oil· to perfume the salmon1 tsp
  • Sesame seeds· white or mixed1 tbsp
  • nori seaweed· sheets cut in half3 piece

Method

  1. 01

    Wash the Japanese rice in a bowl, changing the water 4 or 5 times until the water runs almost clear; drain for 10 minutes so the grain absorbs the water evenly.

  2. 02

    Place the drained rice with 540 ml of water in a heavy-bottomed pot; soak for 20 minutes, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, as soaking helps keep the center of the grain from being hard.

  3. 03

    Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice covered for 14 minutes; turn off and let it rest for 10 minutes without uncovering, until it looks shiny and there’s no free water at the bottom.

  4. 04

    Preheat the oven to 200 °C; brush the salmon with the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp of the salt, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until it flakes easily and registers 63 °C in the center.

  5. 05

    Flake the warm salmon with a fork, removing skin or bones, and mix with the toasted sesame seeds; the filling should remain juicy, not dry.

  6. 06

    Fluff the hot rice with cutting motions and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of the salt; mix gently until the steam lowers and you can touch it without burning yourself, as warm rice molds better.

  7. 07

    Divide the rice into 6 portions; lightly moisten your hands, rub them with the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt, flatten each portion, place a generous tablespoon of salmon in the center, and close them into firm triangles without squashing too much.

  8. 08

    Wrap each onigiri with half a sheet of nori just before serving, gently pressing to adhere and keep a crispy edge.

Chef tips

  • If you don’t have fresh salmon, use cooked salmon from the previous day; just flake it finely so that the onigiri closes well.
  • Don’t mold the rice cold: it breaks and loses stickiness. It should be warm, shiny, and just slightly moist.
  • Avoid overcooking the salmon; when it flakes apart and reaches 63 °C, it’s ready and juicy.
  • To store, wrap the onigiri without nori and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; place the nori just before serving to prevent it from becoming soggy.

Classifications

Japonesaeverydaydinnerall year

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