Onigirazu (おにぎらず, unsqueezed rice sandwich)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rice cooker or heavy pot with tight lid
• •Rice paddle or wooden spoon
• •Plastic wrap, or a clean damp cloth for shaping
• •Sharp knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the rice

   Rinse the rice in a bowl, stirring with your fingers, then pour off the cloudy water. Repeat until the water runs almost clear. This removes loose surface starch so the cooked grains cling cleanly without turning pasty. Drain for 15 minutes if you can; rice that has shed its rinse water cooks more evenly.

2. 2

   Cook the rice

   Cook the drained rice with 2 cups water in a rice cooker, or in a covered pot over low heat after it comes to a boil. Let it rest 10 minutes after cooking. That rest is not politeness for the rice, though it may deserve some. It lets the moisture settle evenly through the grains.

3. 3

   Season lightly

   Stir the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt together until dissolved. Fold it gently through the hot rice with a rice paddle, cutting and lifting rather than mashing. The seasoning should be quiet, just enough to brighten the rice and help it meet the filling.

4. 4

   Cook the eggs

   Beat the eggs with soy sauce and mirin. Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the egg in a thin, soft sheet, folding it once it sets. Let it cool, then cut into four squares. Cooling matters because hot egg wilts the lettuce and softens the nori before the wrap has a chance to set.

5. 5

   Set the nori

   Lay one sheet of nori shiny-side down on a sheet of plastic wrap or a clean cloth, turned like a diamond with a corner pointing toward you. Put a small square of rice in the center, about 1/3 cup, and flatten it gently. Keep the rice inside the middle of the nori so the corners can fold over without strain.

6. 6

   Layer the filling

   Add one lettuce leaf, a square of egg, flaked salmon, carrot matchsticks, and a pinch of sesame. Cover with another 1/3 cup rice, spread to match the bottom layer. Dry the lettuce well and keep wet fillings away from the nori, because moisture is what makes the wrap tear before it can soften properly.

   Think in flat layers, not piles. A neat onigirazu cuts cleanly because the filling has nowhere to slide.
7. 7

   Fold and rest

   Fold the left and right corners of nori over the rice, then the top and bottom corners, making a compact square packet. Wrap it snugly in the plastic wrap or cloth and turn it seam-side down for 5 minutes. The brief rest softens the nori just enough to seal around the rice.

8. 8

   Cut cleanly

   Wet a sharp knife, wipe it, and cut straight through the middle in one firm stroke. Wipe and wet the blade between packets. A clean knife leaves the rice and filling in clear layers; a sticky blade drags the grains and smears the section.

Chef Tips

• •Use Japanese short-grain rice. Long-grain rice won't cling properly, and then you are asking the nori to do work the rice should be doing.
• •Buy nori that feels crisp and smells cleanly of the sea. If it has gone limp in the packet, toast it briefly over gentle heat before wrapping.
• •Keep the filling modest and fairly dry. Onigirazu is generous because the layers are visible, not because it is stuffed until it gives up.
• •For a meatless table, use tamagoyaki, blanched spinach squeezed dry, carrot, and simmered shiitake. That is honmono, not a compromise.

Advance Preparation

• •The rice is best wrapped while still warm, when it clings gently and shapes without pressure.
• •The egg and salmon can be cooked a day ahead and kept refrigerated. Bring them close to room temperature before wrapping so they don't chill the rice too quickly.
• •Wrapped onigirazu keep well for 4 to 6 hours for a picnic or lunch box. For longer storage, refrigerate and eat within a day, knowing the rice will firm up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)