* * *

june’s onigiri (or japanese rice balls)

ingredients for the rice:

japanese sticky rice

toasted sesame seeds

sea salt

seaweed (nori)



ingredients
for inside the riceball:

salmon fillet

avocado

japanese pickles

umeboshi (pickled plum) – optional

japanese red pepper flakes – optional



make 1 or 2 cups of japanese rice (makes 4-8 riceballs). let it cool down a little. in the mean time, heat up a pan or cast iron grill and add a tablespoon of veg oil (i used safflower oil). cook the salmon. i put it skin side down with a top over it until almost done (5-10mins), then flip it for a minute. when the rice is not hot anymore, add the sesame seeds (maybe 1/2 cup?), sea salt to taste, and whatever other seasoning you want (i use japanese red pepper flakes). taste the rice to see if you need to add more salt or sesame seeds. put about a handful of rice either in a bowl or straight into your hand (you should wet your hands with water a little bit before) and then add a piece of salmon, avocado, pickles, umeboshi or whatever else you want in the middle. then shape the rice in your hands – you can use plastic wrap if you feel more comfortable not touching the rice – and shape it into a triangular shape. add some more sesame seeds to garnish. cut up the nori to wrap the rice ball in. enjoy immediately!





+ we went to a picnic yesterday and a friend made rice balls. they were so good, i need her to teach me how to make them.

+ i bought weck glass jars to use instead of plastic tupperware. it inspired us to make peach jam and refrigerator pickles.