Grilled Rice Balls with Leek Miso (Negi-Miso Yaki Onigiri)

Author Notes

Yakionigiri, or grilled rice ball, to me, is for grown-ups. It's something you order in Izakaya restaurant (a sort of Japanese pub). After you have eaten, drunk and talked enough, in order to "finish" the dinner, you order a small rice or noodle dish; yaki-onigiri is one of such dishes.

When lightely grilled--over glowing coals, open flame, or in a frying pan--rice balls become crunchy on the outside, soft in the inside, and add the nice, roasted look and smokey flavor.

Yaki-onigiri is often seasoned with soy sauce, but miso is also used. You can just spread some miso over rice balls and grill them.

But today I made something even tastier: Negi-Miso, or Leek Miso. The leek, cooked slowly, becomes wonderfully sweet and flavorful; when you mix it with umami-packed miso, it turns into a versatile condiment that is perfect for yaki-onigiri.

I cooked the rice balls in a frying pan, but if you have a toaster oven, it's even easier--lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil, place the rice balls, and just pop them into the heated toaster oven. This way, you don't need to turn the rice balls to cook all sides.

To make rice balls, the easiest way is to use a sheet of plastic wrap and a small bowl. With the plastic wrap, you don't need to worry about handling hot rice, or rice sticking to your hands, etc.

Although it used to be something that I would eat after drinking sake, yaki-onigiri is great for lunch as well. Prepare some green tea or roasted green tea, and buon appetito!
—Kyoko Ide