Tokyo (Shibuya vibes), my Japanese salmon onigiri
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In LaBouffe, I often return to recipes that carry me through the middle of the day: simple, clean, comforting, but never bland. That is why I am choosing a great Japanese classic here, salmon onigiri, with a very clear anchor in Tokyo—almost a Shibuya energy, lively and rushed, like passing through a metro station where I still hold on to a certain softness. This dish feels like me when I am looking for a balance between pace, flavour and care for others. I make it when I come home from a day of cultural mediation, when I want a meal that does not wear me out, or when I want to rediscover that feeling of genuine sharing that matters so much to me. I love its luminous simplicity: rice, salt, a savoury centre, a sheet of nori—and immediately I find something that feels just right. For this recipe, I use 300 g of round Japanese rice, 1 generous slice of salmon, 1 sheet of nori, a little salt and, if I want to make the process gentler, a few drops of vinegar water for my hands. First, I cook the rice until it is tender and sticky, then let it cool just enough to handle without burning myself. Meanwhile, I cook the salmon in a pan or in the oven with a pinch of salt, then flake it. I lightly wet my hands, salt my palms, and shape a ball or triangle of rice before slipping the salmon into the centre. I gently close it up without packing it too tightly, because I want to let each grain breathe. I finish with a strip of nori around the rice, then serve it straight away, sometimes with a very simple miso soup. What I love about this Japanese recipe is that it does not pretend: it gives a great deal with very little, and lets the flavour speak softly, like a successful encounter.
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Where: JP