Secret Recipe: Sandcastle Onigiri

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The oppressive heat of summer has finally broken with the first of the welcome rainfalls. Before, the world was crispy, tense, drawn-up like the dry cracks in the dirt itself. The yarrow blossoms faded to a dull tan, and even the purslane drooped after its long push for survival in the ever-hotter summers in the West. But now, the landscape has transformed. The yarrow is blooming again, delicate white flowers dancing over the sand. There’s tender new growth on the tips of the currant bushes. And in the woods, the porcinis proliferate. 

Coming across just one big bolete feels surreal, like you’ve just found a fairytale treasure. A whole scattering of them means that surely you’ve crossed a threshold into a magical realm, for there is no way mushrooms this magnificent could appear in a mundane setting, right? Their tops look like big bread buns scattered through the duff, with pleasantly plump round stalks holding them up. A pristine sample has soft white flesh and the unmistakable buttery scent of the boletus family. (Less pristine samples often have little worms - a friend of mine calls them “tiny bacons.” As long as you cook your mushrooms, they won’t hurt you… though many balk at such a thought. I don’t.) 

The King Bolete, Porcini, holds a deserving title, for he is the biggest and (arguably), the most delicious. Cooking a few fresh slices with just a bit of butter makes for an incredibly umami-rich treat, while drying more slices for later and then powdering them gives you a magical powder that instantly adds depth and richness to anything blessed by its charms. Boletes are the rich taste of late summer to me, of the first days in the woods that you think to start carrying a sweater, of short-lasted but never-the-less delightful rainstorms that leave you damp and refreshed. They remind me of the last days on the beach, the last sandcastle of the year, proudly decked out in flags made of leaves beginning to take on the colors of fall. Oh, what a beautiful time of year it is! Oh, what relief to have cooler nights and wetter days once again! 

This dish is my ode to end-of-summer pleasures. It’s an edible sand castle inspired by the Japanese dish Onigiri, which consists of rice (sometimes seasoned, sometimes plain) filled with some kind of delightful savory treat. This sand castle begins with sticky rice, flavored richly with soy sauce, butter, and porcini powder and coated in a crunchy edible “sand” of toasted sesame seeds and puffed rice cereal. Each turret and tower contains a delightful surprise, whether it’s a shiso-infused tuna salad, a tart-salty preserved plum called umeboshi, or some kelp cooked in a delicious marinade. This filling dish is meant for sharing, either as a fun afternoon snack, or as a wonderful summertime dinner for two, perhaps with a tomato salad on the side. It’s far from traditional, a celebration of playfulness. 

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