Oyakodon, Japanese Chicken and Egg over Rice: A three day masterpiece or a 15-minute wonder

[cteavin]

 

Three versions of oyakodon follow. The first is the most complex for Maximum Umami. The other two take no more than 20 minutes from start to finish.

 

Here's a YouTube video that shows you all the steps.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm-1RUhZYXA

 

 

For One Serving
1/2 cup of strong dashi (120ml)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce (7-15ml)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon mirin (7-15ml)
1/4 onion, sliced
1/2 boneless chicken thigh with skin (150 grams)
1 - 2 eggs
The green from a leek, negi, scallion (optional)
Mitsuba (optional)
Sansho (optional)

 

Four Servings
2 cups of strong dashi (480ml)
2 - 4 tablespoons soy sauce (30-60ml)
2 - 4 tablespoons mirin (30-60ml)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 boneless chicken thighs with skin (600 grams)
4 - 8 eggs
The green from a leek, negi, scallion (optional)
Mitsuba (optional)
Sansho (optional)

 

Dashi

 

1. Strong homemade dashi: 30 grams kombu, 30 grams bonito flakes  per 1 liter of water

2. Soak the kelp/kombu in 1 liter of water overnight (between 8  to 24 hours), remove and bring to the simmer. 

3. Add the bonito flakes and keep at the simmer for 2 minutes then strain through a fine mesh sieve. (If you're fussy, you can strain through a paper towel or coffee filter, otherwise particulate will settle at the bottom of the bowl which you can remove later. )

4. Let the dashi cool to room temperature. 

 

Prepare the Chicken

 

1. Salt your chicken on both sides for fifteen minutes. 

2. Pour 2 cups of dashi in a flat pan.

3. Rinse off the salt and dry the chicken.

4. In a skillet, sear the chicken on both sides, skin side first to render the fat. (Note: if you're using a regular skillet, brush the skin with a flavorless oil to prevent sticking.)

5. When the chicken is good and hot add it to the dashi to cool to room temperature. (Note: As the chicken cools, it will absorb the flavors from the dashi. At the same time, the dashi will take on the chicken flavor. This maximizes the umami in the chicken while making the sauce that flavors the rice rich in chicken flavor for an amazing end result.)

6. You can keep the chicken in the fridge for several days or when it reaches room temperature, you can proceed. 

 

Mise in Place

 

1. Remove the chicken from the dashi and slice or dice

2. Per one cup chicken dashi add 1 - 2 tablespoons of both soy sauce and mirin. 

3. Slice half an onion into slices as thick as you please.

4. Partly beat 1 - 2 eggs

5. Chop the green from a leek, negi, or scallion and/or, if you can find it, mitsuba (a Japanese herb/vegetable). 

6. Reserve an egg yolk if you like.

7. Reserve sansho if you like.

 

Making the Oyakodon

 

1. In a skillet or saucepan wide enough to hold your liquid so that it can poach the ingredients, add 1/2 - 1 cup of the chicken dashi.

2. Add 1/4 - 1/2 of the sliced onions. Bring to a boil on med-high heat, cover and let cook for no more than two minutes.

3. Uncover and add the meat, about 150 grams per person, or half the leg/thigh. Cover and cook for five minutes. 

4.  Turn down the heat to low and add 3/4 of the egg mixture. Cover and cook for two minutes.

5. Add the rest of the egg and cook to your desired doneness. (Note: The egg is cooked in two portions to give two different textures, a firm and less firm egg. Typically, the egg is undercooked by Western standards, is perfect by Japanese standards.)

6. Pour the sauce over a bowl of rice and top with the chicken and egg mixture. 

7. Garnish with egg yolk, the green vegetable, and/or sansho.

 

__________

 

Regular Oyakodon

 

For One Serving
1/2 cup of dashi (120ml)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce (7-15ml)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon mirin (7-15ml) [see note at bottom]
1/4 onion, sliced
1/2 boneless chicken thigh with skin (150 grams)
1 - 2 eggs
The green from a leek, negi, scallion (optional)
Mitsuba (optional)
Sansho (optional)

 

Prepare your ingredients:

 

1. Slice or dice the chicken
2. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of both soy sauce and mirin to the dashi.
3. Slice half an onion into slices as thick as you please.
4. Partly beat 1 - 2 eggs
5. Chop the green from a leek, negi, or scallion and/or, if you can find it, mitsuba (a Japanese herb/vegetable).
6. Reserve an egg yolk if you like.
7. Reserve sansho if you’d like.

Making the Oyakodon

 

1. In a skillet or saucepan wide enough to hold your liquid so that it can poach the ingredients, add the dashi.
2. Add the sliced onions. Bring to a boil on med-high heat, cover and let cook for no more than two minutes.
3. Uncover and add the chicken. Cover and cook for five minutes.
4. Turn down the heat to low and add 3/4 of the egg mixture. Cover and cook for two minutes.
5. Add the rest of the egg and cook to your desired doneness. (Note: The egg is cooked in two portions to give two different textures, a firm and less firm egg. Typically, the egg is undercooked by Western standards, is perfect by Japanese standards.)
6. Pour the sauce over a bowl of rice and top with the chicken and egg mixture.
7. Garnish with egg yolk, the green vegetable, and/or sansho.

---

High Protein/Healthy Oyakodon

 

For One Serving
1/2 cup of dashi (120ml)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce (7-15ml)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon mirin (7-15ml) [see note at bottom]
1/4 onion, sliced
1/2 skinless chicken breast (150 - 300 grams)
2 - 4 egg whites
The green from a leek, negi, scallion (optional)
Mitsuba (optional)
Sansho (optional)

 

Prepare your ingredients:

 

1. Slice or dice the chicken
2. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of both soy sauce and mirin to the dashi.
3. Slice half an onion into slices as thick as you please.
4. Reserve the egg whites.
5. Chop the green from a leek, negi, or scallion and/or, if you can find it, mitsuba (a Japanese herb/vegetable).
6. Reserve an egg yolk if you like.
7. Reserve sansho if you’d like.

Making the Oyakodon

 

1. In a skillet or saucepan wide enough to hold your liquid so that it can poach the ingredients, add the dashi.
2. Add the sliced onions. Bring to a boil on med-high heat, cover and let cook about four minutes.
3. Uncover and add the chicken. Cover and cook for two minutes. (Note: Chicken breast cooks quickly, so you need a short cooking time or it will be dry.)
4. Turn down the heat to low and add the egg whites. Cover and cook until they cooked to your liking. (Note: Typically the dish is served with the egg undercooked, but tastes vary, so cook to the degree you like.)
5. Pour the sauce over a bowl of rice and top with the chicken and egg mixture.
6. Garnish the green vegetable, and/or sansho.

[lemniscate]

I had forgotten how much I like Oyakodon.   

 

I think in the first technique, SV'ing the chicken in dashi to the perfect consistency would fit right in there.  I'm adding to my list of "to try".

 

Also, Oyakodon sounds like a better way to use up excess egg whites from other recipes.  Not just for meringue or angel food, but an actual meal.  That's a revelation.

Edited June 6, 2021 by lemniscate (log)