Instructions

Roasted Tomato Filling:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a bowl, mix sliced cherry tomatoes with the garlic and enough olive oil to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, and give another mix until all tomatoes are evenly coated in oil and seasoning.
3. Spread tomatoes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done once the tomatoes become very fragrant and golden around the edges.
4. Optional: Once cool, roughly chop the roasted cherry tomatoes.

Assembly:

1. With a damp paper towel, wipe the inside of your measuring cup until it’s completely damp (alternatively, you could spray it with a little non-stick spray). Fill the measuring cup with warm rice, until you can no longer see the bottom. Use the back of a rice paddle or spoon to flatten the rice, making sure to press the rice into all the crevices.
2. Take a generous spoonful of roasted cherry tomatoes and spread them on top of the flattened rice in the measuring cup, leaving a little bit of space around the edges.
3. Add more warm rice on top of the cherry tomato filling, and spread and flatten it out with the back of a rice paddle or spoon, until the filling is no longer visible and the rice is perfectly flat on top. If you are using a 1 cup measuring cup, the entire onigiri should not exceed the 1/2 cup point.
4. Flip the measuring cup over, making sure to do this over top a sheet of plastic wrap. Gently tap the bottom and sides of the measuring cup until the onigiri slides out. Optional: Add a strip of nori seaweed to the base of your onigiri. Wrap fully in plastic wrap.
5. Repeat Steps 1 – 4 to make remaining onigiri.

Grilling the Onigiri:

1. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Coat the pan well with neutral flavored cooking oil.
2. Add onigiri to the pan and cook on both sides until the rice becomes a nice, crispy golden brown color.
3. Optional: For extra decadence, top each onigiri with a fried egg (ideally with a runny yolk).