Teriyaki Salmon Onigirazu

1. Gather all the ingredients. Reheat the ingredients (for food safety).
2. For one onigirazu, place a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Put 1 sheet nori (dried laver seaweed) on top with the shiny side down. Rotate the sheet 45 degrees so a corner points up. I’m using an onigirazu mold to create the perfect shape.
3. Divide 1 cup cooked Japanese short-grain rice into 2 portions. In the center of the nori sheet, evenly spread a thin layer of one portion of rice in a square/rectangular shape. Sprinkle with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. We add salt to prevent the food from spoiling as we eat onigiri, onigirazu, and bento at room temperature, and typically without refrigeration.
4. Place 1 fillet teriyaki salmon and 8 stalks grilled asparagus on top. When you add the filling, consider how you will cut the onigirazu later. You want to arrange the filling so it looks delicious when the ingredients are revealed.
5. Place a thin layer of another portion of steamed rice on top, maintaining the same square/rectangular shape. If you have an onigirazu mold, moisten the “lid” before you press down so the rice does not stick to it. Place the lid on top and press gently.
6. Pull up the mold carefully while pressing down on the lid. If you‘re not using a mold, make sure to stack the ingredients nicely.
7. Bring the left and right corners of the nori sheet towards the center. Fold gently but tightly to wrap around the rice and filling at the center. Then, bring the bottom and top corners towards the center. Continue to fold gently but tightly around the layers. Make sure the rice is tucked in nicely. If your onigirazu is a square shape, you can mark the onigirazu with a rice kernel so you will remember which way you wanted to cut.
8. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside for 5 minutes with the nori’s seam side down.
9. Cut the onigirazu with a sharp knife. Run your knife blade under running water before cutting so that the cross-section will be clean.

To Store

1. If you plan to make this the previous night, wrap the onigirazu with a thick kitchen towel and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. The towel will prevent the rice from getting hard due to the cold temperature. Consume the onigirazu within 24 hours.