Equipment
1 Sheet Pan
Parchment Paper
Onigiri mold (or cookie cutter)
Rice cooker
Bowl
Spoon
Fork
Ingredients
Rice Balls
1½ cups Short Grain Rice
2 cups Filtered water
1 6oz Albacore Tuna pouch
1-2 tbs Mayonnaise
1 tbs Soy Sauce or Tamari
Optional Ingredients (but highly recommended)
Flaky sea salt
Furikake
Nori
For the sauce
Chili Oil
Black Vinegar
Fish Sauce
Sesame Oil
Mirin
Instructions
For the Onigiri
- Rinse your rice… A LOT! You’ll want to rinse until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.
- Soak rice in water for at least 20 minutes, and up to overnight. Then strain.
- Cook rice in rice cooker, if you have one. Otherwise, use 2 cups water for 1½ cups rices in a pot that you bring to a boil. Stir gently, and reduce temperature to medium/low so rice is at a ‘very’ gentle simmer then put lid on the pot. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
- Distribute cooked rice evenly onto a parchment lined sheet pan to cool until warm.
- Prepare the tuna filling while the rice cools. Add tuna to a bowl and break up with a fork while mixing in mayonnaise and soy sauce (or tamari). Add mayo and soy sauce until desired consistency is achieved.
- Keep a small dish of water near your work station to wet your fingers while handling the rice.
Take your cookie cutter or mold and press a small scoop of rice into the bottom form a base. Make a small well in the rice. - Add in a bit of the tuna mixture, and top with rice. Carefully press it down so the rice encapsulates the tuna within the confines of the cutter or mold.
- Slip the Onigiri out of the mold and onto a nori.
- Repeat these steps until you’ve used up all the tuna mix. The size of your mold or cookie cutter will determine how many you end up with.
- Sprinkle furikake and flaky sea salt on top for style and extra delish!
The Sauce
- This sauce is not an exact science, so play with it until you like it!
- Add soy (or tamari) and black vinegar together in equalish parts. Add a dash or two of sesame oil, and mirin. Depending on how much you like spicy, spoon in some chili oil. Stir and serve!
