Salmon Teriyaki Onigiri with Crunchy Salmon Skin and Umeboshi (Sweet Plum) Paste with Toasted Miso Butter

Making Onigiri or Japanese rice balls is a great way to use up left-overs and have a quick and easy snack to share. I grew up eating these after school, on picnics and in long family road trips. My mom used to fill them with left over chicken teriyaki or pickled vegetables. I decided to make my version of these with left over salmon teriyaki because it keeps the rice moist with the tender, oily fish. I added crunchy pan-fried salmon skin that miraculously keeps its crunch and adds texture. And a small teaspoon of Umeboshi (Japanese sweet plum) paste gives it a nice zest and sweetness.

Salmon Teriyaki Onigiri with Crunchy Salmon Skin and Umeboshi (Sweet Plum) Paste with Toasted Miso Butter

Salmon Teriyaki Onigiri with Crunchy Salmon Skin and Umeboshi (Sweet Plum) Paste with Toasted Miso Butter
Yield: 8
Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Making Onigiri or Japanese rice balls is a great way to use up left-overs and have a quick and easy snack to share. I grew up eating these after school, on picnics and in long family road trips. My mom used to fill them with left over chicken teriyaki or pickled vegetables. I decided to make my version of these with left over salmon teriyaki because it keeps the rice moist with the tender, oily fish. I added crunchy pan-fried salmon skin that miraculously keeps its crunch and adds texture. And a small teaspoon of Umeboshi (Japanese sweet plum) paste gives it a nice zest and sweetness.

Ingredients

Rice
  • 2 cups brown Japanese rice
Teriyaki Sauce
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
  • 2 tsp ginger - grated
  • 1 tsp garlic - chopped
  • 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice seasoning)
Filling
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 12 oz Atlantic Salmon skin on
  • 1/2 cup fried salmon skin
  • 4 tbsp Umeboshi paste (sweet plum paste found in a jar in most Asian grocery stores or online)
Miso Butter
  • 1/4 cup white miso
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
Wrapping
  • 3 seaweed squares

Instructions

  1. Steam rice. Follow instructions in the link.
  2. Make teriyaki sauce. See below.
  3. In a small bowl, make miso butter by combining the white miso and room temp butter with a spatula until well combined. Set aside.
  4. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the raw salmon, skin side down. Cover and steam for 4 to 5 minutes until salmon is opaque and salmon skin is slightly brown and starting to get crispy.
  5. Uncover and remove the salmon. It will not be fully cooked through at this point but will continue cooking in the teriyaki sauce. Set aside.
  6. Turn over the salmon and slowly remove the skin with a small knife.
  7. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the salmon skin. Cook it on both sides until it is completely browned and crispy. Remove and let drain on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
  8. Once cooled, slice the crispy salmon skin into small strips. Set aside.
  9. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, pour about 4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce in the pan. Add the salmon to it and coat it with the sauce. Continue cooking the salmon until it is just done, another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  10. Take a sheet of saran wrap and lay it on a cutting board. Put about 1/2 cup of steamed rice onto the saran wrap and make a small circlular mound.
  11. Make a small indention in the middle of your mound for the filling, insuring that you still have a layer of rice on the bottom.
  12. Fill the rice ball with a tablespoon of teriyaki salmon, a small mound of crispy salmon skin and a teaspoon of umeboshi paste.
  13. Take the sides of the saran wrap and pull them together to form a tight triangular shape that encases the filling so that you only see rice on the outside. Repeat until 8 rice balls are made.
  14. Lightly brush both sides of the onigiri’s with the miso butter and toast them in the same saute pan over medium-high heat until they are golden brown. Flip and brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.
  15. Slice a piece of seaweed into 1/4 squares. Cut each square in half.
  16. Use one of the cut pieces of seaweed to wrap around the base of each of your triangular onigiri and enjoy! May serve warm or at room temperature.
Teriyaki Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan on high heat, whisk sugar, shoyu, ginger and garlic until combined.
  2. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn down to simmer. Add mirin.
  3. Cool and store in a jar. Will keep for up to 2 weeks refrigerated.