Onigiri

Rice

• sushi rice400 g
• water480 ml
• salt2 tsp
• nori sheets4

Fillings

• salmon fillets150 g
• pickled plums (optional)4
• tinned tuna160 g
• mayonnaise2 tbsp
• soy sauce1 tsp
• sesame seeds1 tbsp

Rice

1. 01

   Rinse the rice several times until it runs nearly clear and drain for 30 minutes. Put it in a pan with the water, bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then rest 10 minutes off the heat.

2. 02

   Let it cool until you can just handle it but it is still warm. Onigiri are shaped warm — cold rice will not stick together.

Fillings

3. 03

   Drain the tuna and mix it with the mayonnaise and the soy sauce.

4. 04

   Salt the salmon lightly and grill it for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through and it flakes easily. Let it cool, then flake it, discarding the skin and any bones. Remove the stones from the pickled plums (umeboshi), if using, and tear them into pieces.

Shaping

5. 05

   Wet your hands with water and rub a pinch of salt over your palms. The salt seasons the outside of the rice, and wet hands stop it sticking.

6. 06

   Take a handful of rice, make a dent in the middle and put in a heaped tablespoon of one of the fillings.

7. 07

   Close the rice over the filling and press it firmly into a triangle, turning it in your cupped hands and pressing three or four times. Firm enough to hold, not so hard it turns dense.

8. 08

   Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden and sprinkle them over the onigiri.

9. 09

   Cut each of the nori sheets in half into two strips, and wrap one round the base of each onigiri just before eating so it stays crisp.