Hawaiian Luncheon Meat Musubi

Method

1. Wash the rice 3 or 4 times, until the water is almost clear, drain it and soak it in the pot with the measured water for 30 min.

   Add in this stepJapanese short-grain rice 160 gWater (for cooking the rice) 210 ml

2. Cover the 16 cm pot and bring it to a boil over high heat; when it bubbles and steam puffs out strongly, turn down to low heat and cook for 12 min. Turn off the heat and steam, covered, for 10 min, then fluff gently with a paddle.

   high heat→low heat

3. Beat the egg well. Wipe half the oil over a 18 cm frying pan with kitchen paper, set it over medium-low heat, pour in the egg and swirl to spread it thin. Cook for 2 min, until the top is almost set, then fold it to the width of a meat slice and cut it into pieces the same size as the slices.

   Add in this stepEggs 1Vegetable oil ½ tsp

   medium-low heat

4. Slice the luncheon meat 1 cm thick (8 slices from a 340 g can). Add the remaining oil to the same pan and fry over medium-high heat in 1 batch(es) for 4 min, turning once, until browned on both sides. Mix the soy sauce, sugar and mirin, pour it in, turn down to low heat and simmer for 1 min, turning the slices, until the sauce is sticky and coats them (return all the slices to the pan before glazing if you fried in batches). Sugary sauce burns fast, so stay with it.

   Add in this stepCanned luncheon meat, sliced 1 cm thick 170 gVegetable oil ½ tspSoy sauce 1½ tbspSugar 1½ tbspMirin 1½ tbsp

   medium-high heat→low heat

5. Get a musubi mould ready (or a clean, empty luncheon meat can with both ends removed, or a 9 × 5 cm rectangular container lined with cling film). Lay half a sheet of nori rough side up on the board and set the mould across its middle. Wet the inside of the mould, add about 80 g of rice and press it down firmly with a spoon to 2 cm thick. Sprinkle with furikake, add the egg and a slice of meat and press again. Lift off the mould, fold both ends of the nori up over the top and seal with a dab of water. Make 4 this way. If you use a can, watch your fingers on the cut edges.

   Add in this stepNori sheets (full size, cut in half) 2Furikake rice seasoning (or toasted sesame and a pinch of salt) 2 tsp

6. Leave them seam side down for 2 minutes so the nori sticks, then cut in half with a wet knife. For a packed lunch, wrap each one in cling film and eat the same day.