Salmon Onigiri

Make the rice: Put the rice in a large bowl, add enough tap water to cover the rice, and wash it, using your hands to swish the grains around. Discard the water. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times. Let the rice soak in water for 30 minutes. Transfer the rice to a sieve, drain and let sit for at least 15 minutes. While the rice is being soaked and drained, heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium pot. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low and continue to cook, covered, until the water is completely absorbed, 12 to 13 minutes. Take a quick peek, and if you see any water left, cover and continue cooking for another minute or so.

Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for another 10 minutes. Uncover and let the rice cool until you can hold the rice without burning your hands. (To cool it quickly, spread it out on a sheet pan). Do not let the rice cool down completely.

Make the filling: Sprinkle a little salt on both sides of the salmon fillet, and place the fillet on a small sheet pan or baking dish. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily when you poke it with a fork.

Break the cooked salmon into flakes and set it aside, discarding the skin if there is any (or you can eat it).

While the rice is cooling, cut the nori into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Wet your hands to prevent the rice from sticking to them. Put some salt on your hands by dipping three fingertips in salt and rubbing to spread it all around your palms.

Scoop a handful (about 1/3 cup) of warm rice into one hand. Create a small indentation in the center of the rice. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of salmon inside. Then mold the rice with your hands around the indentation to cover the filling completely.

Gently form the rice into a triangle, using three fingers (thumb, pointer finger, middle finger) to make a triangle corner. Squeeze and pat the rice just firmly enough so the onigiri doesn’t fall apart. You don’t want to squeeze the rice too tightly.

Wrap the nori around the onigiri like you’re wrapping a blanket around a baby, then sprinkle the top point that’s not wrapped in nori with sesame seeds. You can also wrap the seaweed over the bottom of the onigiri, like a flap or a diaper, and sprinkle sesame seeds along the other two sides. If your hands get too messy, wipe them off and re-dip them in water and salt before you make the next one. Repeat these steps with the rest of the rice, salmon and nori.

Eat the onigiri immediately, as the rice gets hard when you refrigerate it. But if you really need to wait to eat them, there’s a trick: wrap the whole tray of onigiri with thick kitchen towels and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before eating.