Monday, November 22, 2010

Octodog and Salted Salmon Onigiri Bento

I made salted salmon last weekend, and have been enjoying it in all kinds of ways. Today I made a salted salmon onigiri for my second-grader, who will like the flavor the fish imparts to the plain mixed rice. I added a couple of octodogs with sesame seed and nori facial details, and a quail egg with a molded bear face. I dipped the egg in shoyu for flavor and to add contrast. I filled in the gaps with steamed broccoli, and I also fried some partially steamed kabocha in the same octodog pan. I drizzled shoyu on the wedges at the end to give a bit of salty flavor. The plum slices are accented with watermelon radish and pink carrot flower.
I used Maki's Just Bento recipe for salted salmon. Briefly, all you do is coat a fresh piece of salmon with sea salt, wrap in paper towels and refrigerate for 24 hours to draw the liquid out. After the salting period, you can slice the filet and cook in a few different ways. I chose to pan-fry; a few minutes on each side until cooked through. It is quick and easy to do, and so versatile. I've eaten it in jook, ochazuke, onigiri, and just as is with plain hot rice. It's simply delicious. And since Maki says you can freeze the salted pieces, that's just what I've done. It'll only take a few minutes to fry some up whenever the mood strikes me.

18 comments:

  1. Cute octodog and quail egg print! Never had salted salmon before although we have a lot of other kinds of salted fish here. Looks perfect for ochazuke too, I am typing and drooling at the same time LOL :D And your ochazuke so cool with the cute character sprinkles on it *double drooling*

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  2. Wonderful tutorial! Mmmm, I need to try this delightful salted salmon approach. Must say how adorable octotogs look with their little hats...sighing over the watermelon radish flower. Sweet and vibrant bento as always!

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  3. Looks delicious, and the little hats on the octodogs are too cute!

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  4. I think octodogs are the cutest! Your salted salmon is inpired and I must give Makk's recipe a try.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Looks delish and the octodogs are adorable! Just got my quail egg molds, can't wait to use them :)

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  6. The salted salmon onigiri looks truly delicious! It's making me hungry!

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  7. Thanks Lia,
    I like most salted fish but salted salmon is the best. Plus it's so pretty. I don't know why I don't use the cute ochazuke more. Do you have it too? We have Hello Kitty and Pikachu too.
    Thanks bentobird! It isn't even really a recipe as much as a method. Very simple. Up to now I have been buying it but will never do so again!
    Thanks Jenn!
    Thanks Debra! As usual, Maki has an easy-to-follow pictutorial. SO delicious, I can't stand it.
    Thanks Mommyof2girlz! The quail egg molds are fun. I would choose the smaller eggs since the big ones will split and ooze out the sides. Very cute though!
    Thanks a lot Ohayobento!

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  8. I like the octodog and the quail eggs! the onigiri looks yum yum too :D

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  9. Salted salmon yum! And your ochazuke couldn´t be cuter... did I hear Hello Kitty and Pikachu? :O
    The bento is fabulous... there is an octodog-love going on there ^_^ . Quail egg print and kabocha just completed the cuteness ;).

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  10. Ooh yummy! I can just taste the salted salmon in chook. Ooh yeah. I love the octo-dog. hehe! Especially with the hat picks on them. Too cute!

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  11. Thanks Sysyl, karaimame, Chantale and Oscar Devonian!! Hats! haha!

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  12. yummy looking fish, something to try next. tks for sharing. aw u got the hat picks, cute. btw in the 3rd pic what's the cute faces?

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  13. Thanks javapot!
    I think it might be dehydrated fish cake?

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  14. Sheri, we got Pikachu and Pooh long time ago. But can't find it anymore now in here.

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  15. The salted salmon onigiri is making my mouth water! After all of this salted salmon talk, I might have to make some :)

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  16. I will have to try the salted salmon recipe, and you said it still good to be served in room temperature right? so I can start to pack more fish for my boys. TFS!

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  17. Lia, Really? I haven't seen Pikachu in awhile either but I figured they just ran out and will restock. I hope it's not discontinued.
    OhayoBento, you really should; it's so so so good. Sometimes that salty flavor is just what hits the spot.
    Lina, Yes it's good at room temperature. It's cooked, but it's kind of dried so it flakes nicely and you can even use flakes like furikake sprinkled throughout rice. It really adds a lot of flavor!

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