Photo by love.jsc
Salmon Ochazuke Recipe – Japanese Rice with Green Tea
Ochazuke is a Japanese snack with salmon, rice and green tea. This is a really quick snack if you happen to have leftover rice and a little salmon. This works with canned salmon too. In the grocery store, you can get instant ochazuke in little packets that come in different flavours. In this recipe, we will be making the ochazuke with a grilled onigiri but you can use plain rice if you are pressed for time.
- leftover rice (Japanese shortgrain rice)
- furikake
- salmon, leftover grilled, broiled or canned
- green tea
If you’re using onigiri, first season the rice with the furikake, mixing well until it’s uniformly seasoned.
Making onigiri is easy. Using wet hands, scoop out a palm full of rice and start to make a little patty with an indentation in the middle. Take a little salmon and put in the indentation, then continue to mould the rice, adding more on top of the salmon until it’s enclosed inside. When you get the shape you desire, set aside.
Heat up a small non-stick skillet with a touch of oil on high heat and add the onigiri. Let it cook for a minute or so per side until you get some nice colour.
Assembly:
Grab a small bowl and put the onigiri in the bottom. Then top with more salmon. Sprinkle the top with furikake, then finally add the hot green tea to bring everything together. Be sure to serve right away, or add the tea at the table. Better yet, if you’re serving this as a starter, let your guests add the tea. The aroma and cool factor will score you bonus points! Enjoy.