Onigiri

Directions

1. 1
   Work with wet hands while the rice is still hot (or at least warm).
2. 2
   Form 8 balls by cupping the rice gently between your hands.
3. 3
   Brush each ball lightly with soy sauce, using about half the soy for this purpose.
4. 4
   Brush each of the nori sheets with a little of the remaining soy sauce, then cut each piece in half (done most easily with scissors).
5. 5
   Wrap each ball with a piece of nori, shiny side out.
6. 6
   Serve within a few hours.
7. 7
   Sprinkle the balls with toasted sesame seeds (page 596) before wrapping.
8. 8
   Enclose any of the following in the rice balls: dried bonito flakes, lightly doused with soy sauce, about 1 tablespoon per ball; pitted pickled plums (umeboshi), 1 per ball; a small piece of cooked fish, preferably salmon grilled with soy sauce.
9. 9
   Smear each of the rice balls with a bit of miso, thinned slightly with soy sauce, in place of the soy sauce alone.