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Baby octopus onigiri (takomeshi + sweet-soy iidako)

Two Okayama dishes from the Seto Inland Sea, put together: takomeshi — rice cooked with octopus, ginger and dashi — and iidako no nitsuke, baby octopus simmered in sweet soy. Half the octopus cooks in the rice; the other half is glazed and folded through so every bite has pink and glossy pieces inside. Round onigiri with a nori belt — no topping. Shaping basics are on the onigiri page.

6 onigiri~1½ h (45 min of it the rice cooker)
Baby octopus onigiri (takomeshi + sweet-soy iidako)

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

  1. Baby octopus
    Baby octopus
    • cleaned
    • chopped
    • half + half
    Step 3
  2. Rice
    Ricewashed and drainedStep 4
  3. Rice seasonings
    Rice seasonings
    • dashi
    • light soy
    • mirin
    • sake
    • salt
    Step 5
  4. Ginger
    Gingerthin stripsStep 5
  5. Sweet-soy simmer
    Sweet-soy simmer
    • soy
    • mirin
    • sugar
    • water
    Step 7
  6. Green onion
    Green onionthinly slicedStep 9
  7. Nori strips
    Nori strips6 strips, 2 cm wideStep 10

Prep order — what happens when, and what overlaps

minutes
0102030405060708090
Clean the octopus 10 min
10 min
Salt rub, rinse 4 min
Chop all of it 4 min
Wash rice, cut ginger 5 min
Rice cooker 45 min
45 min
Plain-water simmer 10 min
10 min
Sweet-soy simmer 20 min
20 min
Reduce to a glaze 4 min
Fold glaze + onion in 7 min
Shape + nori 12 min
12 min
BoardBowl / counterHands-offPan / stove

The sweet-soy half simmers while the rice cooks; fold the glazed pieces in when the rice is done.

Step by step

  1. The octopus

  2. Snip across just behind the eyes, where the head joins the body.
    Snip across just behind the eyes, where the head joins the body.
    Turn the head inside out with a chopstick and pull away the innards.
    Turn the head inside out with a chopstick and pull away the innards.
    Squeeze the hard beak out from the centre of the tentacles.
    Squeeze the hard beak out from the centre of the tentacles.

    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.
    Clean the baby octopus
    Should look like this
  3. Rub hard with coarse salt for 1–2 minutes, until a grey foam comes up.
    Rub hard with coarse salt for 1–2 minutes, until a grey foam comes up.
    Run your fingers down each tentacle to clean the suckers, then rinse well.
    Run your fingers down each tentacle to clean the suckers, then rinse well.

    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.
    Salt rub and rinse
    Should look like this
  4. Cut the rest into 1 cm pieces.
    Cut the rest into 1 cm pieces.

    3Chop all of it

    ~4 min
    • Cut every octopus into 1 cm pieces.
    • Split into two piles of about 150 g each: one for the rice cooker, one for the sweet-soy pan.
    Chop all of it
    Should look like this

  5. Takomeshi

  6. Wash the rice until the water runs nearly clear.
    Wash the rice until the water runs nearly clear.
    Cut the ginger into thin strips.
    Cut the ginger into thin strips.

    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.
    Wash the rice, cut the ginger
    Should look like this
  7. Scatter the chopped octopus and the ginger on top — don't stir them in.
    Scatter the chopped octopus and the ginger on top — don't stir them in.

    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 half the chopped octopus and the ginger on top. Don't stir them in.
    • Cook on the normal setting.
    Cook the takomeshi
    Should look like this

  8. Sweet-soy baby octopus

  9. Simmer in plain water first

    6Simmer in plain water first

    low~10 min
    • Put the other half of the chopped octopus in the small saucepan with cold water to cover.
    • Bring it up slowly over low heat, about 10 minutes, until the pieces turn pink and opaque. Don't let it boil hard — that's what makes octopus rubbery.
    • Drain.
  10. Cover with a drop lid and simmer 20 minutes.
    Cover with a drop lid and simmer 20 minutes.

    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.
    Simmer in sweet soy
    Should look like this
  11. Lid off, medium-high: spoon the sauce over until syrupy and glossy.
    Lid off, medium-high: spoon the sauce over until syrupy and glossy.

    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 stir until it's syrupy and the pieces are dark and glossy, 3–5 minutes.
    • Off the heat. Leave them in the glaze until the rice is ready.
    Reduce to a glaze
    Should look like this

  12. Shape

  13. Fold the glazed pieces and green onion through with the paddle — cut, don't mash.
    Fold the glazed pieces and green onion through with the paddle — cut, don't mash.

    9Fold the glaze and onion into the rice

    ~7 min

    For this step

    • Green onion1 stalk
    • When the rice is done, tip in the glazed octopus with any leftover glaze and the green onion.
    • Fold through gently with the paddle, cutting through the rice rather than mashing it — every scoop should have pink and glossy pieces.
    • Let it cool for a few minutes, until it's warm enough to hold.
    Fold the glaze and onion into the rice
    Should look like this
  14. Wet, salted hands: press about 90 g into a ball, then a thick puck.
    Wet, salted hands: press about 90 g into a ball, then a thick puck.
    Wrap a nori strip around the side.
    Wrap a nori strip around the side.

    10Shape and wrap

    ~12 min

    For this step

    • Salt (for your hands)a pinch per onigiri
    • Nori1 sheet
    • Wet your hands and rub a pinch of salt over your palms.
    • Take about 90 g of the mixed rice (a sixth of it) and press it gently into a ball.
    • 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.
    • Wrap a nori strip around the side; the end sticks to itself. Repeat for six.
    Shape and wrap
    Should look like this

Based on: MAFF — Takomeshi (octopus with rice), Okayama · MAFF — Iidako no nitsuke (simmered baby octopus), Okayama · Honda fishing — how to clean iidako (Japanese)