These Japanese rice triangles are filled with salty grilled salmon and a little fresh, tangy pickled ginger. The rice holds the filling together; a strip of nori adds a savory, crisp bite if you wrap the onigiri just before eating.
Onigiri are shaped portions of Japanese rice, often filled with something savory and sometimes partially wrapped in nori. The rice isn’t sushi rice: use short-grain Japanese rice and don’t add vinegar or sugar. The grains cook until tender and sticky enough to hold together, while keeping more texture than rice prepared for sushi. In this version, salted, grilled salmon forms the center. The combination is similar to shiozake, salted salmon often eaten with rice in Japan; the shape and other fillings vary from one preparation to another.
Rinse the rice until the water is less cloudy. This removes excess starch from the outside, while the rice will still be sticky enough to shape after cooking. A short soaking time helps the grains cook more evenly. After cooking, leave the rice to rest in the covered pan, then gently fluff it with a rice paddle or wide spoon. Don’t press hard: the grains should stay intact. Shape the onigiri while the rice is still warm, but not so hot that it burns your hands.
First salt the salmon, then grill it in a hot pan. This gives it a lightly browned surface and a firm, savory filling. Let the fish cool briefly after cooking and remove any bones before flaking it. Pickled ginger adds acidity and a touch of sweetness; chop it finely and use just a little so the salmon remains the main flavor. Don’t have pickled ginger? Leave it out, or use a small amount of finely chopped, drained pickled cucumber for a different fresh note.
When shaping the onigiri, wet hands and a pinch of salt are important: they help keep the rice from sticking and add flavor to the outside. Press the triangles firmly enough to hold them together, but not so hard that the rice becomes dense and heavy. Nori tastes best when it’s dry and crisp. So wrap it around the rice just before eating; otherwise it absorbs moisture and softens. Serve the onigiri for lunch with, for example, cucumber or a light miso soup. If you’re taking them with you, keep them cool and preferably eat them the same day; chilled rice does become firmer in texture.
Rinse the rice in a bowl of cold water and drain. Repeat a few times, until the water is less cloudy. Put the rice and 360 ml water in a lidded pan and soak for 20 minutes.
Bring the rice to a boil with the lid on. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 12 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice covered for another 10 minutes.
Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle with about ¼ tsp salt. Heat a frying pan or grill pan over medium-high to high heat. Cook the salmon for 3–4 minutes per side, depending on its thickness, until cooked through and browned in spots on the outside. Let it cool briefly, remove any bones and flake the fish.
Mix the salmon flakes with the finely chopped pickled ginger. Gently loosen the rice with a wide spoon; don’t stir it vigorously.
Wet your hands and rub a small pinch of the remaining salt over them each time. Scoop about a quarter of the warm rice into one hand, make a hollow in the middle and add a quarter of the salmon filling. Cover with rice and shape into a firm triangle using both hands. Repeat with the rest.
Cut the nori sheets into four strips. Just before serving, wrap a strip around the bottom of each onigiri.
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