Bowled over by Oyakudon
If the Koreans have their bibimbap, and the Filipinos have their rice toppings, then the Japanese have their donburi. Translated into English as rice bowl, donburi consists of seafood, vegetables and/or meat simmered in a sauce, then spooned over a bowl of steaming hot rice. It’s a comfort dish, and one of the easiest Japanese dishes to prepare.
There are many types of donburi. Among the most popular is oyakadon, which means a parent and child bowl. That’s because it’s made with chicken (presumably the “parent”) and topped with egg (presumably the “child”).
Other types of donburi include gyudon (beef bowl), tendon (similar to tempura, with the prawn served over the rice and drizzled with a sweet sauce), and katsudon (pork topping).
Donburi is a relatively inexpensive dish, except when it isn’t, i.e. when it uses more exotic toppings like abalone, sea urchin and unagi (eel).
At home, oyakodon is a family favorite. I’ve been cooking it for years—ever since I came across a recipe for it in a cookbook that featured easy-to-follow, step-by-step procedures for Japanese dishes. With its bite-size chicken, mushrooms and leeks, and a sweetish sauce to add more flavor, all served over a bowl of steaming hot rice, oyakodon is the ideal comfort food, especially on chilly, rainy nights such as the ones we’ve been having lately. Moreover, the ingredients are readily available, making it not only comfort food but a convenient dish, too.
Here’s a recipe for oyakodon.
Oyakodon (Chicken Donburi)
Ingredients:
For the sauce and marinade:
- 3 tbsps. sugar
- ¼ cup sake (Japanese wine)
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup mirin
- 1 cup water
- 1 pc. konbu leaf (optional; available in Japanese groceries)
For the chicken:
- 6-8 pcs shiitake mushrooms
- 6 pcs chicken thighs
- 3 stems leeks, cut into one- to two-inch lengths
- 6 eggs
To serve:
- 6 cups steamed white rice
Procedure:
1. Make the sauce and marinade. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, sake, soy sauce, mirin and water. Add the konbu leaf. Separate about 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside to use as marinade.
2. Marinate the chicken. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Soak the mushrooms in warm water to soften them, then slice into bite size pieces. Set aside. Debone the chicken, making sure to leave the skin on. Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces. Marinate the chicken in the above 1/3 cup of the mixture for 30 minutes to one hour (if in a hurry even 10 minutes will do).
3. Cook the chicken. Pour the remaining sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. When the mixture is simmering, add the marinated chicken (including the liquid in which it was marinated). Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the mushrooms and simmer for another two to three minutes.
Add the leeks and simmer for another one minute. Remove the konbu leaf. Beat the eggs in a bowl then pour evenly on top of the simmering chicken, mushrooms and leeks. Cover the pot and simmer until the eggs are set, about one to two more minutes. By this time, the chicken should be fully cooked and tender.
Spoon the rice into six individual Japanese bowls. Top each bowl with some of the chicken, mushrooms and leeks. Apportion the sauce equally among the rice bowls. Serve immediately.
