I bought onigiri molds ages ago and promptly threw them in the tupperware cabinet to collect dust. When I recently remembered I had them AND had some leftover shrimp from the previous night’s supper, I decided it was time to put them to use. Maybe I “forgot” about them because I didn’t believe they’d be as easy to use as everyone claimed? Turns out they’re ridiculously easy. And this is a perfect lunch.
I made a quick shrimp salad by chopping up shrimp (that had been seasoned with gochujaru and salt and sautéed in oil the night before) and mixing with kewpie mayo and chopped scallions. Regular mayo works, but kewpie is better. I prepared some sushi rice in the rice cooker and when it was done, I stirred in a bit of sushi seaonsing (rice vinegar and sugar, for the most part) and sesame seeds. Fill the mold halfway with rice, make a little divot for your filling, add the shrimp salad, top with more rice, put on the lid, and push down onto the lid to get everything balled up. Remove the lid and turn the mold over, pushing the button on the bottom to release the onigiri onto a strip of nori.
The beauty of onigiri is that it can be made with all sorts of fillings and flavor combos. This particular combination is certainly not authentic to Japanese cuisine, but I’m pleased to say it all worked really well together. Since onigiri can often be found in Japanese convenience stores or as an after school snack made of leftovers, it seems like the kind of thing you can play around with a bit. I can’t wait to try new versions and will probably be making a salmon one for lunch today since I accidentally purchased a nearly-two-pound filet and have soooo much sitting in the fridge after last night’s supper.
Peaches to Apples 