Cheese Stick Onigiri Recipes

HOW TO MAKE CHEESE STICKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Place a sheet of frozen puff pastry dough onto a floured work surface and allow dough to thaw just until it can be unfolded. Unfold dough into a flat sheet; brush top of puff pastry dough with olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
• Sprinkle white Cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese onto the dough, covering the surface. Top with a piece of plastic wrap; press cheese and seasonings firmly into the dough with your fingers or by laying a sheet pan onto the dough over the plastic and pressing it down.
• Remove plastic and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough down the seam lines into thirds; cut each third lengthwise into thirds for a total of 9 breadsticks.
• Pick up a dough strip, place it seasoned side down on the work surface, and twist from both ends 8 or 9 times to make a rolled tube of dough with the seasoned side out. Place breadsticks onto prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the sticks. Roll the sticks lightly to even up their shapes and pick up and press any dropped cheese onto the surfaces.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes; flip and continue baking until breadsticks are browned and crisp, 10 to 20 more minutes. If you pick up a stick by one end and it droops, bake for several more minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

CHEESE STICK ONIGIRI

Steps:

• Prep: Begin by cooking the rice until tender and fluffy. Do not rinse the rice of its starches before cooking because you want the starch to act as a sticking agent later.
• While the rice is cooking, mix the salt and the warm water into a bowl until dissolved. Taste to test saltiness, add more salt if needed. Set aside.
• Next, add together the Soy Sauce, Mirin, and the sugar cube into another bowl.
• Take the cheese stick and chop finely. Then take 1/4 of the pieces and squish into a small ball with your hands. Make 4 balls total and place them into the Soy Sauce mixture.
• When the rice is done place into a large bowl. Fluff the rice until it is hot, but not scorching. (You don't want to burn yourself!).
• Making the Onigiri: First, dip your clean hands (I suggest removing all jewelry) into the bowl of warm saltwater.
• Take a portion of the rice and spread it onto the palm of your hand. Make a small depression in the middle.
• Place one cheese ball into the depression and close the rice layer on top of itself, adding more rice from the bowl to help seal the cheese inches.
• Repeat above steps. If you find that the rice is sticking to your hands, just rewet them in the saltwater.
• Eat warm, or pack them in your bag as a snack for later!

ONIGIRI (RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Sprinkle salmon with salt and let sit for 30 minute.
• Grill or fry the salmon until the edges are a little bit burned.
• When cool, flake salmon into small pieces and set aside.
• Cut nori into 8 equally sized, rectangular strips.
• Put warm rice in a bowl and combine with salmon and sesame seeds.
• Put a pinch of salt on your hands and take a 1/2 cup ball of rice.
• Form the rice into either a round or triangular shape br pressing lightly with both of your palms.
• Wrap a strip of nori around each rice ball.

RODY'S FRIED ONIGIRI

Steps:

• Heat canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
• Mix egg into cooled, cooked rice until well-combined.
• Take a spoonful of rice mixture and roll into a ball shape.
• Press a hole into the middle of the ball and add fish.
• Cover hole with more rice mixture and roll until uniformly round.
• Place ball into heated oil and fry on each side until golden brown.
• Set aside on paper towels to cool slightly.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper (if desired).
• Wrap rice balls with nori.
• Serve and enjoy!

BASIC ONIGIRI

Steps:

• Let rice cool to where you aren't burning your hands when you handle it.
• Wash hands!
• Rinse hands and leave wet, and rub palms with salt.
• Take a handful of rice and ball with hands, using palm of left hand to form the base, and the palm and fingers of your right hand to form the two sides of a triangle.
• Toss and rotate so that the side that was on your left palm is now rotated to one of the sides on your right hand.
• Repeat until you have a nice triangle shape.
• Repeat starting with rinsing hands and salting hands.
• Wet hands do not stick to rice, which makes shaping the rice much easier.
• The salt adds flavor and helps to sterilize any bacteria.
• Consistency is key with the shapes and size, this will come with practice!
• Now that you have a basic rice ball, you can flavor with any of the optional ingredients or a mix: Sushi Nori- Simply wrap a piece of sushi nori around the rice ball.
• This is a very basic rice ball, and is seen in many boxed lunches.
• Classic!
• Chinese 5 Spice- I will often add a dash of 5 spice to the salt I'm using to add aroma and taste.
• Don't over do it, 5 spice becomes bitter if used excessively!
• Toasted Sesame Seeds- Sprinkle on top for aroma and taste.
• Can also use prepackaged Japanese rice dressing, sold in glass bottles to be shaken over rice for flavor.
• Ume-boshi or cooked fish- In one of the two flat sides of the onigiri, press a divot into it with a finger, and fill with the desired stuffing.
• Leave open or cover with a strip of sushi nori- not the ume boshi though!
• You don't want to choke on the seed if you didn't know it was there!