Baby octopus onigiri (takomeshi + sweet-soy iidako)

Mise en place — set out in the order it goes in

1. 

   Baby octopuscleaned · 6 whole + ~100 g choppedStep 3

2. 

   Ricewashed and drainedStep 4

3. 

   Rice seasonings

   • dashi
   • light soy
   • mirin
   • sake
   • salt

   Step 5

4. 

   Gingerthin stripsStep 5

5. 

   Sweet-soy simmer

   • soy
   • mirin
   • sugar
   • water

   Step 7

6. 

   Green onionthinly slicedStep 9

7. 

   Nori strips6 strips, 2 cm wideStep 11

Prep order — what happens when, and what overlaps

The baby octopus simmers while the rice cooks; the glazed octopus can wait in its pan until the rice is ready.

Step by step

1. The octopus

2. 

   

   

   1Clean the baby octopus

   ~10 min

   For this step

   • Baby octopus (iidako)about 300 g (10–12)

   • Frozen ones: thaw them in the fridge overnight. Many are sold already cleaned — then go straight to the salt rub.
   • With kitchen scissors, snip across just behind the eyes, where the head joins the body.
   • Push the top of the head with a chopstick to turn it inside out, pull away the innards, then turn it back the right way out.
   • Snip out the eyes, and squeeze the small hard beak out from the centre of the tentacles.

   

3. 

   

   2Salt rub and rinse

   ~4 min

   For this step

   • Coarse salt (for cleaning)1 tbsp

   • Put them in a bowl with the coarse salt and rub hard for 1–2 minutes, until a grey foam comes up.
   • Run your fingers down each tentacle to clean the suckers.
   • Rinse well under running water until the surface feels slightly rough, not slimy.

   

4. 

   3Six whole, the rest chopped

   ~3 min

   • Pick the six best-looking octopus, about the same size — they're the tops. Keep them whole.
   • Cut the rest (about 100 g) into 1 cm pieces for the rice.

   

5. Takomeshi

6. 

   

   4Wash the rice, cut the ginger

   ~5 min

   For this step

   • Short-grain rice1½ rice-cooker cups
   • Ginger1 slice (14 g)

   • Wash the rice until the water runs nearly clear and drain it in a strainer.
   • Cut the ginger into thin strips.

   

7. 

   5Cook the takomeshi

   ~45 min (rice cooker)

   • Put the rice in the rice cooker and add:
     • dashi 320 ml
     • light soy sauce (usukuchi) 1 tbsp
     • mirin 1 tbsp
     • sake 1 tsp
     • salt 3 g
   • Stir once, then scatter the chopped octopus and the ginger on top. Don't stir them in.
   • Cook on the normal setting.

   

8. Sweet-soy baby octopus

9. 

   6Simmer in plain water first

   low~10 min

   • Put the six whole octopus in the small saucepan with cold water to cover.
   • Bring it up slowly over low heat, about 10 minutes, until the tentacles curl up and they turn pink and opaque. Don't let it boil hard — that's what makes octopus rubbery.
   • Drain.

10. 

    7Simmer in sweet soy

    medium20 min

    For this step

    • Soy sauce1½ tbsp
    • Mirin (for the simmer)1½ tbsp
    • Sugar1 tbsp
    • Water200 ml

    • Put the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and water in the saucepan and bring to a boil.
    • Add the octopus, bring back to a boil, then turn down to medium.
    • Cover with a drop lid (or a round of baking paper laid on the liquid) and simmer for 20 minutes.

    

11. 

    8Reduce to a glaze

    medium-high3–5 min

    • Take off the drop lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.
    • Spoon the sauce over and roll the octopus around until it's syrupy and they're dark and glossy, 3–5 minutes.
    • Off the heat. Leave them in the glaze until the rice is ready.

    

12. Shape

13. 

    9Fold in the green onion

    ~7 min

    For this step

    • Green onion1 stalk

    • When the rice is done, scatter the green onion over it and fold it through gently with the paddle, cutting through the rice rather than mashing it.
    • Let it cool for a few minutes, until it's warm enough to hold.

    

14. 

    

    10Shape round onigiri

    ~10 min

    For this step

    • Salt (for your hands)a pinch per onigiri

    • Wet your hands and rub a pinch of salt over your palms.
    • Take about 90 g of takomeshi (a sixth of it) and press it gently into a ball, with octopus pieces all through it.
    • Flatten the top and bottom a little between your palms, so it's a thick puck about 6 cm across that stands on its own.
    • Press a shallow dip into the top with your thumb. Repeat for six.

    

15. 

    

    11Octopus on top, nori belt

    ~6 min

    For this step

    • Nori1 sheet

    • Brush a little glaze into the dip and sit one glazed octopus in it, head up, tentacles draped down over the edge.
    • Wrap a nori strip around the side of the onigiri, over the tentacle tips, so it holds them in place; the end of the strip sticks to itself.
    • Brush a little more glaze over each octopus.