Nourish: Salmon Shiso Onigiri

NourishSeptember 1, 2025

The shift into September asks for food that is steady and nourishing. Onigiri carries that ease– warm rice pressed into shape, folded with flakes of salmon, sesame, and furikake. Set on a shiso leaf, it is beautiful to look at, just as it is delicious to taste. There is comfort in its simplicity: a dish made to be held in the hand, eaten slowly or on the move, always carrying with it a sense of care. Just as good at the table as it is tucked into a bag for a walk or picnic in the cool air, onigiri feels at once everyday and special– a small gesture of abundance in the turn of the season.

Ingredients

200 grams of salmon fillet
1 teaspoon of neutral oil
Pinch of salt and black pepper
300 grams of Japanese short-grain rice (about 1 ½ Japanese rice cups, uncooked)
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of mirin or rice vinegar (mirin will give a touch of sweetness, rice vinegar a brighter tang — use whichever you prefer)
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of furikake of your choice
1–2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Fresh shiso leaves, to serve

Steps

Wash the rice in several changes of water until it runs mostly clear, then cook it using your preferred method — in a rice cooker, donabe, or on the stovetop. Once cooked, let it rest covered for 10 minutes before fluffing.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C and season the salmon with oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 10–15 minutes until just cooked through, then flake the flesh into small pieces.
While the rice is still warm, fold in the salmon along with soy sauce, mirin or rice vinegar, sesame seeds, furikake, and spring onions, adjusting the seasoning to taste.
With damp hands or an onigiri mould, shape the mixture into triangles or rounds, and finish each piece by placing it on a fresh shiso leaf. Best enjoyed warm, though they also hold beautifully as part of a picnic spread.