I have wanted to make Spam Musubi since we came back from Hawaii four months ago; everyone in the family really enjoyed Spam musubi while we were there. Since the girls are all home this weekend, I decided to give this recipe a try. Ashely reminded me to flavor the rice, so instead of using plain cooked rice, I made sushi rice instead. We indulged today.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1/2 hour
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

Spam

• 1 can of Spam, cut into 8 slices. Save the empty Spam can. Wash and dry to use as a mold.
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp sake
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Omelette

• 6 eggs, lightly beaten with 1/4 tsp salt

Sushi Rice

• 2 cups short-grain rice
• 2 cups water (I use the rice cooker to cook the rice, only 1 3/4 cup is needed)
• 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• furikake (optional)
• 2 Nori sheets cut into eight 2″ strips.

Directions

Omelette

• Beat six eggs with the salt and divide into two batches
• Make two 10-in omelettes.
• Cut each omelette into four Spam-size slices. Set aside. Note: I used the empty Spam container as a mold to cut the omelettes.

Spam

1. Pan fry the Spam slices over medium high heat until lightly browned on each side.
2. Mix mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl and pour over the fried spam.
3. Continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickened and coats the Spam slices.
4. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Heat any remaining sauce and set aside.

Sushi Rice

1. Wash and drain the rice and transfer to the rice cooker.
2. Add water per the rice cooker instructions.
3. While the rice is cooking, prepare the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, salt and mirin in a measuring cup. Stir and mix well.
4. When the rice is cooked, let it stand for 10 minutes. Rake and loosen the rice with a rice spatula.
5. Stir the vinegar/mirin mixture into the rice slow;y, folding and mixing with the rice spatula until all the liquid mixture is blended with the rice.
6. Transfer the rice into a glass bowl. Cover with a wet cloth and let the rice cool to room temperature.

To assemble the musubi

1. Divide the cooled sushi rice into 8 equal portions.
2. Tear a piece of cling wrap and push it into the empty Spam can.
3. Using a chop stick, push a slice of Spam to the bottom of the can.
4. Add a slice of omelette.
5. Sprinkle with a little furikake on top of the omelette.
6. Press one portion of the sushi rice over the omelette until the rice is level.
7. Remove content with the cling wrap.
8. Twist the cling wrap over the rice and shape if needed.
9. Unwrap and place a strip of Nori over a clean sheet of cling wrap. Transfer the musubi over the Nori strip and wrap the nori around the musubi.
10. Wrap the musubi tightly with the cling wrap.
11. Serve the musubi with leftover sauce from cooking the spam.