Hello, Japan! Oyaki Donburi

Oyaki Donburi

Ah, oyaki donburi. I can’t even remember when I first had you in Japantown, but you have always been a perfect comfort food. Eggs are coddled, adding sweetness and creaminess to a soy/mushroom broth/chicken broth base, accompanied by sauteed chicken chunks, soft sweet onion, shiitake mushrooms and minced green onion.

Here’s the recipe:

Oyaki Donburi

serves 3-4

1.5 cups cubed raw chicken, salted and peppered

6 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated with 1 cup hot water. Reserve water.

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 eggs

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 a white or yellow onion

Boil some water and rehydrate your mushrooms first- 1 cup over about 6 mushrooms should do it, it’s fine if they float but you can weight it down if you like. Saute onions until they start to soften, then add raw chicken. Saute until chicken is cooked and onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Drain the mushrooms and chop them, reserving the liquid. Saute another minute and pour the mushroom liquid into the chicken pan. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar and stir together. Let the mixture come to a boil, then beat the eggs and slowly pour over the hot liquid. Turn the burner down to medium and let the egg coddle, meaning most (but not all!) of the liquid is still there. Garnish with minced green onions, preferably home-grown.

Serve over hot rice, with warm blankets, a Star Trek movie, and let your belly be happy. And yes, that picture is from my dinner tonight.

Me: “Have anything to say about my donburi? I’m gonna quote you.”

Anthony, mouth full: “Mrphfreally good.”