Ingredients
To Cook in the Rice Cooker
- 2 cups (rice measuring cup) short or medium grain white rice
- Water to fill to water level 2 for “WHITE RICE”
For Seasoning Rice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
For Filling
- 2 oz. salmon filet
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 2 umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum)
For Wrap (optional)
- 4 sheets nori seaweed, cut into 4” x 2” each
Directions
- Prepare white rice using the ingredients listed under “To Cook in the Rice Cooker”. For steps to cook “white rice,” see here.
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- When rice completes cooking, transfer rice to another bowl, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and gently fluff with the rice spatula. Set aside.
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- Preheat broiler or oven to 450ºF. Place salmon filet on a paper towel and sprinkle sea salt on the surface. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
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- Grill salmon in broiler or oven for 5 minutes or until well done. Transfer cooked salmon to a bowl and remove any bones and skin. Break into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
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- Remove umeboshi pits with a knife or fingers and set aside. Be careful when using a knife.
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- Cut and place a plastic wrap about 7 to 8 inches long and place in a small bowl. Add a 1/4 of cooked rice on top of the plastic wrap. Place half amount of salmon from step 4 in the center of the rice. Gather the plastic wrap around the rice and make a triangular rice ball by squeezing your hands together lightly. The rice ball should be firm so it does not fall apart, but the rice should remain fluffy and not smashed.
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- Remove the plastic wrap. Take a nori sheet and wrap the bottom of the onigiri. Repeat steps 6 and 7 to make one more salmon onigiri.
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- Make two more onigiri using umeboshi.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Bento:
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Rice
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Pack your ingredients like the cooked salmon and umeboshi in one of the side dish containers; keep the nori in the other one.
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Miso soup will stay hot in the sealed soup container and is the perfect complement to your onigiri bento.
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Assemble your fresh onigiri—put some rice on your nori, add ingredients and roll it up any way you like; onigiri has no rules!