Oyako Donburi (chicken-and-egg on rice)
The English translation of this fantastically simple dish literally means “Parent and Child” – being chicken and egg of course.
Traditionally a donburi is a deep footed lidded bowl made of porcelain, about twice the size of a regular rice bowl. This works well as a light starter or side, but can also be a simple weeknight supper when you are feeling like something super quick and healthy.
There are many versions of this common dish in different recipe books. This is adapted slightly from Shizuo Tsuji’s wonderful “Japanese cooking, a simple art”.
Oyako Donburi (chicken and egg on rice)
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice per person Cook it with slightly more water and slightly longer to get it nice and sticky
- 1 egg per person
- 1/2 skinless, deboned chicken breast per person, chopped into small slices/cubes Can also use up leftover chicken.
- 1 small onion (or 2 spring onions) per person
Sauce (for 4 people, scale accordingly)
- 2 1/2 cups Dashi
- 1/2 cup naturally brewed soya sauce If you can get both light and dark, use 2/3 dark and 1/3 light
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 heaped tsp cornstarch, dissolved in a little water/dashi
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together and bring to a boil over medium heat. Mix the eggs together, but don't beat or whip - you want the cooked egg to have some colour/texture variation. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the onions and simmer for another 2 minutes or so, until the onions are not sharp, but still have some crunch.
- Pour the egg over the simmering chicken and sauce slowly in a steady stream, and do not mix.Cook for a minute or so until the egg starts to set and bubble around the edges - don't cook it hard! Spoon over the hot rice and serve immediately with green tea. Garnish with some coriander if you want a splash of colour.
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[…] This is a quick and delicious side dish that pairs well with the Oyako Donburi. […]