Onigiri I

== Description ==
Japanese rice balls.
* Contributed by Catsrecipes Y-Group
* Serves 12
== Ingredients ==
* 4 cups Japanese short-grain rice
* 1 envelope bonito shavings
* 5 seasoned plums (umeboshi)
* 4 oz salmon
* 2 sheets nori (seaweed wrappers)
* 2 tsp salt
== Directions ==
# Rinse salmon and pat dry with a paper towel.
# Sprinkle with salt.
# Place on a rack over a cookie sheet or small dish and bake in 400°F oven for an hour to dry it out.
# Cook rice according to package directions (i.e. without adding fat) so that it's sticky.
# Prepare three bowls.
# When salmon is done, ground the fillet up into small pieces with a fork or mortar and pestle and place in the first bowl.
# Mash seasoned plums with a fork and place in second bowl.
# Empty contents of one small bonito shaving envelope into the third bowl.
# Divide rice into three portions, and add one portion to each bowl.
# Mix lightly to combine with seasoning ingredient.
# Wet hands slightly.
# Dip one finger tip into leftover salt and smear the salt so that sticks on both hands.
# Take ¼ of rice mixture from first bowl.
# Form into a ball.
# Make it compact, but not so much that the grains of rice become mush.
# Form into a triangle, square, or cylinder.
# Repeat for the remaining rice.
# Each seasoning bowl should yield four rice balls, for a total of twelve.
# Place each one on a piece of parchment paper to keep them from sticking.
# Cut each sheet of nori into three strips lengthwise.
# Then cut each strip in half.
# Wrap one small strip of nori around the bottom of each rice ball to form an envelope to hold it with.
# Serve immediately.
# If you won't be serving immediately, wait to wrap the rice in the nori, as it will absorb water from the rice and lose its crunch.
# Instead, wrap tightly and refrigerate.
# Let the rice balls come to room temperature before serving. 
Category:Cathy's Recipes
Category:Japanese Appetizers
Category:Japanese Meat Dishes
Category:Medium-grain rice Recipes
Category:Salmon Recipes
Category:Nori Recipes
Category:Plum Recipes