Hot-Buttered Onigiri

When we were in Japan last year, we ate a Fuji-sized mountain of onigiri.  We ate them on trains, at markets, when we were shopping, when we were sight-seeing, for breakfast, for snacks, in the park, in the street. We ate'em every where and any where.  If we wanted to find each other, we just looked for the person with the onigiri in their hand.  Most of the onigiri we ate were stuffed with delicious little morsels and from the fridge.  These ones are speckled with spicy furikake, brushed with a buttery sauce and eaten warm.  They are so good... and you know that any recipe that starts with "Hot-Buttered" gets my vote.




Hot-Buttered Onigiri
slightly adapted from here
Makes 4

For the Rice Mix:
1/2 cup short-grain brown rice
550ml water
1 cup short -grain white rice
1 tablespoon white quinoa
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (white and black)

For the Furikake:
1 sheet nori, cut into very small pieces
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon white sesame seeds
Pinch caster sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
1/4 teaspoon Shichimi Togarashi

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons melted butter
Pinch caster sugar

Make the Rice Mix:
Rinse the brown rice under running water until the water runs clear. Put it into a small-medium saucepan and add the water.  The water should cover the rice by about 1cm. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the white rice under running water until the water runs clear. Put it into a sieve and leave it to drain while the brown rice is soaking.

After 30 minutes, add the white rice, quinoa and sesame seeds to the brown rice. Bring to simmer with the lid on, over high heat. Remove the lid, reduce to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the water level goes just below the surface of the rice.  Put the lid back on and put the pan on the lowest flame. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn of the heat without removing the lid. Keep the lid on for 5 minutes, then remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and leave uncovered for 2 minutes to allow the steam to escape.

Make the Furikake:
Put the ingredients into a small bowl and stir to mix. Set aside.

Make the Sauce:
Put the ingredients into a small bowl and stir to mix. Set aside.

Make the Onigiri:
Heat the grill (broiler) to high and line a baking tray with foil. Spray the foil with cooking oil spray. Set aside.

Add the furikake to the warm rice mix, using two forks to mix.  Divide the rice mix into four even portions.  Wet your hands and form each portion into a flattened triangle with rounded corners.

Place the onigiri on the prepared tray.  Brush the top of each onigiri with a little of the sauce and pop them under the grill for about 10 minutes until golden and crispy, brushing twice more with the sauce during grilling.  Turn them over and repeat on the other side. Serve warm.