LD's Guide to Japan

Last night’s cooking misadventure: Oyako Donburi (親子丼ぶり)

Donburi is a very common Japanese meal that is very simply a bowl of rice with something on top.  The toppings can be anything from tofu, to pork cutlets, or even eel.  The oyako donburi is probably the most popular and most common type of donburi.  The word “oyako” is made of 2 Kanji (characters): 親 (oya), meaning ‘parent,’ and 子 (ko), ‘child.’  The main ingredients of the oyako donburi, therefore, are chicken (parent) and egg (child).  I used a bit too much soy sauce this time around (I don’t have a measuring spoon, so I was estimating the measurements), but overall it turned out well and I am once again very proud of myself.  And now, the recipe:

4oz  chicken - cubed

1  egg - beaten

1/4 cup  green onion - chopped

1/2 cup  dashi (kelp-based soup stock—used in just about everything in Japan)

2 tbsp  soy sauce

1 tbsp  mirin (cooking sake)

rice

optional ingredients for toppings:

1/2 cup  red onion - chopped

1/4 cup  green peas

sheet nori - toasted and crumbled (to sprinkle on top at end)

Bring the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin to a boil in a small pot.  Add chicken.  Lower the heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  Add green onions (and other veggies if used—I added red onion), and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes.  Pour in the egg (already beaten), cover, and turn off the heat.  When egg is mostly cooked (should only take a minute or so), ladle the chicken and mixture over a bowl of rice.  Enjoy!