Bento box – Nori Bento (Roasted Seaweed on Rice)

Method10 steps · about 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Use cooked rice, fully grilled and cooled Saikyo Yaki mackerel, a ready-cooked fish cake, prepared mustard greens and pickled radish. Tear both roasted nori sheets (2) into smaller pieces. Divide the torn nori into two equal piles, one sheet’s worth for each rice layer.

   Uses 2 roasted nori sheets, each sized to cover the rice compartment

2. 2

   Step 2: Pack half the warm cooked rice, half a cup, in the largest compartment of a clean bento box and level the surface.

   Uses First half of cooked rice:½ cup

3. 3

   Step 3: Scatter half the bonito flakes, 1.25 g, over the first rice layer. Dribble or spray just enough soy sauce to moisten the flakes.

   Uses The same box and first half-cup rice layer · First half of bonito flakes:1.25 g · A little soy sauce for the first bonito layer

4. 4

   Step 4: Cover the first seasoned bonito layer with one of the two equal piles of torn nori. Add a little more soy sauce only if needed to flavour the nori.

   Uses The same first rice-and-bonito layer · First half of the torn nori: one sheet’s worth · A little soy sauce for the first nori layer, if wanted

5. 5

   Step 5: Spread the remaining half-cup cooked rice on the first nori layer and level its surface.

   Uses The same partly filled bento box · Remaining cooked rice:½ cup

6. 6

   Step 6: Scatter the remaining 1.25 g bonito flakes over the upper rice layer and lightly moisten them with soy sauce. Cover with the remaining torn nori and add more soy sauce only if needed. Let steam escape briefly before finishing the other compartments.

   Uses The same two-layer rice assembly · Remaining bonito flakes:1.25 g · Remaining half of torn nori: one sheet’s worth · Soy sauce for the upper bonito and nori layers, as needed

7. 7

   Step 7: Cut the already grilled, cooled mackerel portion in half to fit. Put both cooked fish pieces in an empty compartment.

   Uses The same box with all layered rice · 1 portion ready-grilled Spanish Mackerel Saikyo Yaki

8. 8

   Step 8: Put all 30 g prepared mustard-green Karashi-ae in a small food-safe liner in the corner of another compartment.

   Uses The same partly filled box · 30 g prepared Karashi-ae with Chinese mustard greens

9. 9

   Step 9: Put the prepared pickled chrysanthemum radish (1) beside the mustard-green liner.

   Uses The same partly filled box · 1 prepared Pickled Chrysanthemum Radish

10. 10

    Step 10: Cut the ready-fried, thawed fish cake diagonally into two halves and place both halves in a corner on top of the layered rice. Eat promptly, or refrigerate promptly and keep chilled with ice packs during transport until lunch.

    Uses The same nearly complete bento · 1 ready-fried Japanese fish cake (Satsuma Age)