Bacon Almond Onigiri / Musubi

Method11 steps · about 25 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Finely chop the ½ cup roasted salted almonds and set aside. If substituting roasted unsalted almonds, toss the chopped nuts with the separate optional 1 tsp almond-seasoning salt; omit that extra salt with salted almonds.

   Uses ½ cup roasted salted almonds · 1 tsp sea salt, only if substituting roasted unsalted almonds

2. 2

   Step 2: Lay the 5 bacon strips in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate lined with a microwave-safe paper towel. Cover with another suitable paper towel. Microwave for about 3–4 minutes, following the bacon package and appliance instructions and checking until the bacon is cooked through. Let it cool enough to handle, then cut it into small pieces.

   Uses 5 strips bacon

3. 3

   Step 3: Measure 6 cups of freshly cooked Japanese short-grain rice while it is still warm. Fluff it and transfer it to a large bowl with a rice paddle.

   Uses 6 cups freshly cooked Japanese short-grain rice, still warm

4. 4

   Step 4: Add all the cooked chopped bacon, chopped almonds and the 1 tsp black pepper to the warm rice. Fold gently with the rice paddle until evenly distributed.

   Uses Cooked chopped bacon · Chopped seasoned almonds · Measured warm cooked rice · 1 tsp black pepper

5. 5

   Step 5: Wash the onigiri mold and place it on a clean plate or board. Set out a second plate for the finished pieces.

6. 6

   Step 6: Put the complete 1 tsp mold salt in a small dish and set a bowl of water beside the mold. Lightly wet the mold, shake off excess water, and sprinkle a little salt from that one measured dish inside it. Keep the remaining salt and water for subsequent pieces.

   Uses 1 tsp sea salt, divided across the moldings · Water, enough to lightly wet and rinse the mold between pieces

7. 7

   Step 7: Fill the prepared mold with a moldful of the bacon-almond rice mixture. Gently settle the rice with the paddle without crushing the grains.

   Uses One actual moldful; the source gives no measured per-piece amount

8. 8

   Step 8: Press gently with the mold lid to hold the filled rice together; avoid compacting it hard.

   Uses Filled onigiri mold

9. 9

   Step 9: Invert the closed mold, gently press its back to release the shaped onigiri, and place the finished piece on the clean serving plate.

   Uses Shaped first onigiri

10. 10

    Step 10: Continue shaping the actual remaining rice beside the first piece: wet the mold, shake off excess water, sprinkle a little of the remaining measured mold salt, fill with a moldful of mixed rice, gently press and release. Use the same 1 tsp salt supply across the whole batch rather than a teaspoon per piece. Repeat until all the rice mixture is shaped, giving about 6 regular or 12 mini onigiri depending on the mold.

    Uses Actual rice mixture remaining after the first molding · Actual remainder of the single 1 tsp mold-salt supply · Water from the actual mold-wetting supply · First shaped onigiri

11. 11

    Step 11: Serve the completed onigiri warm and freshly made. This mixed-rice style does not need a nori wrapper.

    Uses Complete shaped onigiri batch