Shio Onigiri (塩むすび, salt rice balls)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rice cooker, or a heavy pot with a tight lid
• •Rice paddle (shamoji), or a broad wooden spoon
• •Small bowl of water for wetting hands

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the rice

   Put the rice in a bowl, cover with cool water, and stir quickly with your fingers. Pour off the cloudy water at once, then wash again with fresh water, rubbing the grains gently against themselves. Repeat until the water is only faintly cloudy. You are clearing away loose surface starch so the cooked grains shine and cling lightly instead of turning pasty.

2. 2

   Soak and cook

   Drain the washed rice well, then add the measured water and let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. The soak lets the grains hydrate to the center, which gives you rice that is tender through, not soft outside and hard within. Cook in a rice cooker, or in a covered pot over medium heat until it boils, then low heat for 12 minutes and off the heat for 10 minutes, still covered.

3. 3

   Loosen the rice

   Open the cooker or pot and fold the rice with a rice paddle, cutting down and turning rather than mashing. This releases trapped moisture and keeps the grains separate. Cover with a damp cloth while you set up, because onigiri needs hot rice, not dried rice.

4. 4

   Salt your hands

   Set a small bowl of water and a small dish of salt beside you. Wet both hands, shake off the excess, and rub a generous pinch of salt across your palms and fingers. The water keeps the rice from sticking, and the salt seasons the outside evenly, right where the first bite meets it.

5. 5

   Shape gently

   Scoop about 1/2 cup hot rice into one palm. Cup it with the other hand and press into a triangle or oval with three or four light turns, no more than needed to hold the shape. The rice should feel gathered, not compressed. If grains are squashed flat against your palm, your hands are working too hard.

6. 6

   Wrap and serve

   Wrap each onigiri with a strip of nori just before eating if you want the seaweed crisp. Wrap earlier if you like it soft and fragrant against the warm rice. Serve warm or at room temperature the same day, leaving space between them on the plate so they don't sweat against each other.

Chef Tips

• •Use Japanese short-grain rice, not long-grain rice. The grains need enough natural cling to hold together without being kneaded into paste.
• •Choose fine sea salt with a clean taste. Coarse salt can leave harsh little pockets unless you crush it first between your fingers.
• •Don't fill this one. Umeboshi, salmon, and kombu all have their place, but shio onigiri is the test of rice and salt. Nothing hidden.
• •If packing for a picnic, let the shaped onigiri cool before wrapping them fully. Trapped moisture makes the nori limp and the rice heavy.

Advance Preparation

• •Wash and soak the rice up to 1 hour before cooking.
• •Shio onigiri is best the day it is made. For packing, shape while hot, cool uncovered until just warm, then wrap individually.
• •Do not refrigerate finished onigiri unless you must for food safety. Cold storage hardens the rice; bring it back gently to room temperature before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)