Korean Jumeokbap Tuna Rice Balls

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked short-grain rice, warm
• 1 can tuna, drained well
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 sheets nori, crumbled
• 1 tsp gochujang
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• 1 carrot, very finely diced
• Salt

Steps

1. Press the drained tuna in a sieve with the back of a spoon to get rid of every drop of liquid. Wet tuna makes the rice sodden and the balls collapse.
2. Mix the tuna with the mayonnaise, gochujang, half the scallions, and a pinch of salt into a thick, cohesive filling.
3. Season the warm rice with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt, folding it through with a cutting motion so the grains are not crushed.
4. Let the rice cool until it is warm rather than hot. Warm rice compacts and sticks to itself; cold rice will not hold together at all.
5. Wet your hands and rub them with a little salt, then take a third of a cup of rice and flatten it in your palm.
6. Put a spoonful of the tuna mixture in the centre and close the rice around it, then roll and press firmly between your palms into a ball.
7. Press harder than feels necessary. A loosely packed jumeokbap falls apart the moment it is picked up.
8. Roll each ball in the crumbled nori, sesame seeds, and diced carrot to coat, and serve at room temperature.

Allergen note: Contains gluten, egg, sesame, soy and fish.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.