Onigiri (Rice Balls)

You see onigiri in anime all the time, prominently being eaten by everyone from Sen in Spirited Away to Dejiko and Puchiko in DiGi Charat. (If you suspected that those really weren't "jelly doughnuts" that Brock and the gang were munching in the American TV version of Pokémon, you're right!) Are onigiri hard to make? No! If I can do it, anyone can! (They are a little time consuming, though, especially the first few times you make them. So don't try this if you're in a rush.)

The first and most important thing to know about onigiri is that there is no one right way to make it. Onigiri, like sushi or sandwich, is a general term for a type of food. Just because the type you see in anime is usually triangular with a bit of umeboshi (pickled plum) inside and a bit of nori (seaweed) on the outside doesn't mean that this is the only way to make it. Onigiri recipes can be as limitless as your imagination.

That being said, I give you . . .

Anj's Salmon & Cream Cheese Onigiri

Ingredients:

• Rice
• Sushi flavoring
• Roasted nori (seaweed)
• Fresh salmon filet
• Cream cheese

Special equipment:

• Rice cooker
• Rice paddle
• Rice mold(s)
• Other normal stuff any kitchen should have, like bowls, plates, and running water

Details about the ingredients and equipment . . .

You'll notice that I didn't include any measurements for the ingredients. Making onigiri is a very organic, free flow experience. The only thing I ever actually measure is the rice, and how much I use depends on how many onigiri I intend to make. Typically, two cups of rice (measured when dry) will make six huge onigiri (which, for me, equals three meals). As for the other stuff, I just make sure I have "enough."

For the sushi flavoring, "enough" means one packet. I buy two different brands of sushi flavoring because they come in different sized packets. Thus, I have the one for big batches of rice and the other for small batches. This way I never need to measure. The big packets (2.65 oz. or 75 g) are supposed to be for four cups of rice, but my rice cooker can't handle more than three cups. That makes the flavor a little strong, but I enjoy that. The small packet (1.48 oz or 42 g) is supposed to be for one-and-three-quarters cups of rice. I find it's way too strong to mix one small packet to one cup of rice, just fine with two cups of rice, and too weak with three cups of rice.

For the cream cheese and nori, "enough" means having way too much and putting the extra back in the fridge. Nori keeps a long time (I refrigerate it, although I don't think that's required). And cream cheese is cream cheese. The leftovers usually end up on bagels or crackers.

For the salmon, "enough" means whatever I have. Sometimes I end up eating a nice chunk of salmon after I run out of rice. Sometimes I end up eating a nice bowl of rice after I run out of salmon. Either way, I win.

Alrighty then, let's get to it!

First, you must wash the rice. Dry measure the amount of rice you want to use into a bowl. I use the bowl from the rice cooker itself. Put enough water in to cover the rice, then gently rub the grains between your fingers until the water is very cloudy. Pour out the excess water, then add fresh water and do it again. Cookbooks say to replace the water three or four times, until it it's no longer cloudy. I swear, I've never gotten it to the point that the water is totally clear, and after about twelve rinses, it started to seem excessive. So I normally do five or six cycles, until the water is "less cloudy." Do more or fewer cycles as you see fit. Just remember, if you don't wash the rice, it will taste weird and spoil quickly.

Next, you must drain the rice. Use a colander with a fine mesh, or you might have rice grains falling through the holes. My colander has huge holes, so I drain my rice on a spatter screen. My sink is small enough and my spatter screen large enough that I can rest the edges of the screen on the rim of the sink, keeping it horizontal. Drain the rice for about forty-five minutes. (Why is this necessary? The explanation I've seen is that during this time the rice will absorb moisture and swell, which better prepares it for cooking.)

Now, put your rice into the rice cooker and add water. Measure the water using the Mount Fuji Method. (I didn't make this up. I heard it from a friend who heard it on Food Network. It sounds strange, but it works.) Lay your hand flat on top of the rice (don't push down into it), and the level of water should be up to the point where the peak of your hand sticks up "like Mount Fuji." By "peak" I mean the knuckle where your middle finger joins your hand.

Start your rice cooker and walk away. Now is a good time to prepare your other ingredients.

Using ordinary scissors, cut the sheets of nori into inch-wide or three-quarter-inch-wide strips. Then cut the strips to half-length, if you want to have your onigiri look like the ones you usually see in anime. (Look at the one Kero-chan is eating in my picture above.) Sometimes, I like to leave the nori strips full length, then wrap them all the way around the edge of the onigiri. Occasionally I cut out a few small triangles of nori and use them to decorate the sides of the onigiri. Be creative! The cuter your onigiri are, the more fun they are to eat!

Cook your salmon filet however you want. My preference is for grilling, but I imagine you could bake or pan fry it if you like. When it's cooked just right, it should be moist and juicy, and it should easily separate along the muscle lines into nice sized flakes. I can't tell you how long it takes to do this, because there are so many variables, such as how hot your grill is, how thick the cut of salmon is, and so on. Basically, you just have to watch it. You'll want it to be turning golden brown, but not black. If it starts to look dry, you might have gone too long, and the texture could be tough. Really, this just takes practice and some trial and error. (Frankly, I end up eating a lot of slightly-overdone salmon, because I tend to err on the side of caution. I'll eat and enjoy raw fish if prepared by a skilled sushi chef. I, however, am not a skilled chef. Thus, not trusting myself, I prefer to cook my fish and meat thoroughly. Once in a while, though, I time it just right and end up with perfect salmon, tender and juicy.) If your salmon is a little overdone, don't worry about it. Once it's inside an onigiri, it will soften up a bit as it absorbs moisture from the rice.

After your salmon is cooked, cut it into small pieces. If it separates along the lines, that's even better because that's the perfect thickness. The length and width (or diameter, depending on the shape you cut) should be based on the size of your rice mold. You need to leave a good margin around your filling, or the rice won't stick together. Avoid letting the salmon get within a quarter inch of the wall of the mold. If you are using large rice molds (about the size of a small woman's fist), plan to leave at least a half inch margin.

When your rice is finished cooking, let it sit (still covered) for about forty-five minutes. Don't worry, it will still be steamy and hot, and it will stick a lot better than if you used it the instant it was done cooking.

While you're waiting, set up your assembly line. (My counter space is very limited, so I usually add a couple of TV trays to give me enough space to work with.) Starting on one end, you should have a large mixing bowl, the rice paddle, and the packet of sushi flavoring. Next, you should have a large plate or cutting board, with your rice mold on top, open and ready for loading. Next, your plate of pre-cut salmon chunks and your cream cheese, with a butter knife. Next, your pre-cut strips of nori. Lastly, a couple of large plates or a cutting board upon which to put your finished onigiri. Also, in the sink, it would be wise to have a large bowl of water ready. (Or if your sink is super clean, you can just fill your sink with water. But no soap!)

Alright! Finally, everything is ready! Time to make onigiri!

With the rice paddle, transfer all of the rice into the large mixing bowl. Fluff the rice with the paddle, then add the sushi flavoring powder. Mix thoroughly.

Dampen your hands. (This is the reason for the bowl of water. You'll be using it a lot.) Rice is very sticky, and if your hands are dry, you will find yourself wearing rice gloves. It's best if your hands are damp, but not dripping. If your hands are too wet, it'll ruin the rice.

Using the rice paddle or your hands (or both) put a layer of rice in the bottom of the deep, bowl-like piece of the rice mold.

Snuggle a piece of salmon into the rice. (Don't push it all the way to the bottom. You need a decent covering of rice on all sides.)

With the butter knife, cut or scoop up a little bit of cream cheese (smaller than the salmon piece) and drop it onto the salmon.

Put another piece of salmon on top of the cream cheese.

Observation: By now, your salmon will probably be cool, but the rice should still be warm. The heat of the rice will melt the cream cheese, and it will seep into the rice. While this sounds good, it makes the onigiri lose structural integrity. This is the reason for putting the second piece of salmon as a cap over the cream cheese. You'll still have some seep out, but not enough to make the onigiri fall apart.

Back at the bowl of water, rinse and re-dampen your hands.

Put another layer of rice on top of the salmon and cream cheese, so that it is completely covered. The rice should come up almost but not quite to the top of the mold. Do not fill to overflowing.

Put the pressing-piece of the rice mold in place and press down tightly. (If rice oozes out through the crack, you've filled it too full.)

Pull the press off and set it aside. (If all has gone well, no more than a couple of grains of rice will have stuck to it. If all has gone poorly and half of your onigiri comes away with the press, try pressing again. If necessary, try dampening the press and perhaps even the inside of the mold. Be careful not to get it too wet, or you'll end up with soggy, nasty rice.)

Turn the mold over and push the onigiri out onto the plate. Some molds have a hole you stick your finger through to push it out, while others have a flexible tab that does the same thing. Still others have a rather piston-like system to push it out. Whatever the mechanism, push the onigiri out onto the plate.

Wrap the strip(s) of nori on it in whatever pattern you like. If your hands are still damp, the nori will stick to you, but don't worry; it will stick to the rice even more.

Set your completed onigiri on a plate. Hooray!

Rinse and re-dampen your hands again, and make the next one.

A word about leftovers and storage. Fresh onigiri is awesome, but I like it even better the next day. The freshly made, still warm, onigiri kind of falls apart in your hands. After a night in the refrigerator, the onigiri is fully solid.

I've tried storing onigiri in plastic containers, but the outer layer of rice tends to dry out and absorb some of the plastic taste, even if it's only been overnight. The best way I've found to store onigiri is by individually wrapping them in plastic wrap. The closeness of the wrap keeps them moist, and there is no distortion of taste.

Even individually wrapped and stored in the refrigerator, you probably don't want to let them go longer than a couple of days. They've got fish in them, after all.

A word about cleanup. Rice sticks to everything. Bowls, utensils, the inside of the rice cooker, the counter, any pets or children foolhardy enough to enter the kitchen while you're making onigiri -- everything. Then when it dries out, it becomes like cement. I strongly recommend washing everything quickly, before the rice hardens. Don't say I didn't warn you.