Deconstructed Spicy Tuna Onigiri

I have a lifelong love affair with Japanese food and I am in it for the long haul. Because I eat a mostly pescatarian diet, probably 60% of my food intake is some combination of vegetables, rice, and fresh or tinned fish and I am constantly searching for ways to put a spin on these ingredients. This recipe is inspired by one of the most famous Japanese comfort foods, onigiri, or rice balls. Onigiri (sometimes called o-musubi or nigirimeshi) are a portable, incredibly delicious rice ball made from steamed rice formed into a triangle shape and wrapped in dried seaweed (nori). Onigiri are often filled with salty, savory ingredients like salted pickled plum (umeboshi), simmered seaweed (kombu), or tuna mayo (canned tuna mixed with mayo, sometimes mixed with sriracha for spicy-tuna vibes). This last onigiri variation is the inspiration for this recipe.

I’ll be honest, I am not usually in the mood to fuss over shaping my steamed rice into a triangle and instead prefer the ‘deconstructed’ approach of piling all the usual onigiri ingredients into a bowl and eating with a fork. Less pressure, a fraction of the work, the same delicious result!

Note: I usually cook a biiig pot of steamed white rice on Sundays to reheat and use throughout the week as I need it. Doing this extra bit of prep work ensures that when you’re ready to eat, you’ll only need about 10 minutes to assemble your rice bowl.

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Ingredients:

• 1 5-oz. can tuna packed in water, drained
• 2 Tbsp. mayo, preferrably Kewpie or another Japenese mayo
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1½ tsp. sriracha hot sauce (or more/less to taste)
•  1 scallion (green parts only), thinly sliced
• Toasted black or white sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)
• Steamed white or brown rice
• 1 sheet dried seaweed (nori), cut into thin strips for garnish

Directions:

1. Steam or reheat rice according to package directions and spoon into serving bowl. Top with a generous sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, if desired (highly recommended!)
2. In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, soy sauce, and hot sauce with a fork until evenly combined. Stir in the scallions.
3. Spoon tuna mixture onto rice and top with strips of dried seaweed. Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and scallions, if desired.