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ONIGIRI RICE BALLS WITH GROUND CHICKEN

Everyday Harumi
by Harumi Kurihara
Rice balls are popularly called onigiri in Japan and we love them! Where people in other countries may eat sandwiches for lunch or as a snack, we eat onigiri. I think they are so popular because they are portable and come in so many varieties. You can make them in any shape you like and use almost anything as a filling. They can be wrapped in nori seaweed to give them extra flavor and to help keep your fingers from becoming too sticky. These onigiri rice balls can be used for parties, as a snack, or in bento boxes.
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 11 oz uncooked Japanese sushi rice

For The Ground Chicken:
• 7 oz boneless chicken thighs with skin on, ground
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoonsake
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 to 1½ tablespoons superfine sugar

Directions

1. Wash the rice in cold water and leave in a strainer for 10-15 minutes before cooking.

2. Put the rice in a saucepan with 1 2/3 cups water, cover, and bring to a boil before reducing the heat to low and cooking for 10-12 minutes. 

3. Turn off the heat and leave without taking off the lid for a further 10 minutes.

4. To cook the ground chicken: Put the chicken into a saucepan, add the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar and mix together. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Allow to cool.

5. Mix the rice and the ground chicken together and shape into small onigiri rice balls by hand.