Versatile miso is a perfect match for onigiri!
Onigiri (rice balls) are beloved of all, whether young or old. In this edition, chef Suzuki Emi-san teaches us recipes for onigiri with miso. It seems that Suzuki-san has been enjoying miso onigiri regularly since she was a child.
“When I’m feeling a bit hungry, I want a miso onigiri. They’re even easier than salted omusubi rice balls wrapped in nori seaweed because you just form the rice shapes, and spread them with miso. Miso is a complete condiment, so they’re delicious just like that. They’ve been my favorite snack since childhood.”
Her son is another big fan of miso onigiri, and his favorite is topped with miso and cheese and then broiled. Pickled plums and miso are a match made in heaven and, with the addition of a little sweetness from mirin (sweet rice wine used in cooking), you get an even more elevated miso sauce.
“My grandmother used to use aburamiso made by stir-frying takuan (pickled daikon radish), miso and sugar as a filling for onigiri, and I loved that, too. Another favorite is an onigiri topped a sweet miso made by stir-frying rehydrated dried figs, miso, mirin and sugar, and cheese. If you spread the fig miso on dainty onigiri and lay them on top of perilla leaves, it makes a lovely dish for entertaining.”
Whether just spread on, or broiled or grilled or mixed in, miso can be enjoyed with onigiri in many ways. Hot and toasty broiled onigiri are a treat for the coming season, and so satisfying! But there are a couple of littles trick you need to know when broiling them.
“When spreading on stiffer miso sauces, like the walnut-miso one introduced here, the rice can easily break apart, so it’s a good idea to broil the onigiri on the outside before putting the sauce on. This gives is a nice toasty fragrance and, since miso burns easily, you only need to give it a little blast.”
If using a stove-top grill mesh, make sure to preheat it well. This stops the miso from coming off, giving better results. If using a frying pan, it matters when you turn the onigiri over. Touch the onigiri gently with tongs, etc., and if they don’t move, they are not ready to turn yet. They burn easily, so heating them for longer over low heat is recommended, as it leads to fewer mishaps. Enjoy versatile miso onigiri many ways—as a quick bite when you feel a bit hungry, as a meal, and even when entertaining.
Suzuki Emi-san’s miso onigiri recipes
＜Miso-Butter Onigiri＞
【Ingredients (Makes 2)】
2 rice bowls of cooked rice
Miso to taste
8 g butter
【Method】
① Use your hands to form the rice into two flat rounds. Spread with miso on both sides.
② Heat a frying pan and add the butter. Fry the miso onigiri until lightly browned on both sides.
＜Miso-Walnut Onigiri＞
【Ingredients (Makes 2, with some Miso-Walnut Paste left over)】
30 g walnuts
3 tbsp miso
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp mirin
2 rice bowls of cooked rice
【Method】
① To make the Miso-Walnut Paste, toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan and roughly chop. In a small pot over low heat, heat the miso, sugar and mirin, stirring constantly. When it becomes glossy, add the walnuts, stir, and remove from the heat.
② Preheat a stove-top grill mesh.
③ Use your hands to form the rice into two flat triangles. Broil lightly on the stove-top grill mesh on both sides until the surface dries.
④ Spread the broiled onigiri on both sides with Miso-Walnut Paste and broil again until lightly browned on both sides
＜Chicken-Miso-Hijiki Onigiri＞
【Ingredients (Makes 2, with some Chicken-Miso-Hijiki left over)】
3 g hijiki (a fiber- and mineral-rich seaweed)
100 g ground [minced] chicken
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 tbsp miso
1 tbsp light sesame oil
2 rice bowls of cooked rice
【Method】
① To make the Chicken-Miso-Hijiki mixture, soak the hijiki in plenty of water for 20–30 minutes then drain well. Finely chop the fresh ginger.
② Heat a small pot and add the light sesame oil, ground chicken and ginger and stir-fry until the chicken changes color. Stir in the hijiki, then the miso, stirring to distribute it evenly. Once the mixture becomes dry, remove from the heat.
③ Mix 1 tbs of the Chicken-Miso-Hijiki mixture into the rice and form into balls.
The miso we used
『Plus Koji Koji Bijin Miso』
Made with 100% Japanese rice and a lavish amount of rice kōji, this additive-free miso is mildly sweet and deeply savory.
