Seared Chicken Thigh Oyakodon with Homemade Dashi

Method

1. Put the water and kelp in a 16 cm pot and warm slowly over medium-low heat for 9 min. When tiny bubbles form at the edge, lift out the kelp just before it boils. Add the bonito flakes, and as soon as it bubbles up, leave it heat off for 2 min until the flakes sink. Strain to get the dashi.

   Add in this stepWater 250 mlDried kelp (kombu) 4 gBonito flakes (katsuobushi) 7 g

   medium-low heat→heat off

2. In a small pan, combine the dashi (60 ml per serving), soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar and boil over medium heat for 1 min 30 sec to cook off the alcohol. This is your oyakodon sauce (warishita). Use leftover dashi for miso soup.

   Add in this stepSoy sauce 2 tbspMirin 2 tbspCooking sake 2 tbspSugar 2 tsp

   medium heat

3. Cut the chicken into 3 cm pieces, keeping the skin on, and slice the onion 5 mm thick. Divide the eggs into bowls, 2 per serving, and break them up with chopsticks only about 10 times so the white and yolk stay marbled.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs, skin on 300 gOnion 100 gEggs 4

4. Place the chicken skin side down in a dry 24 cm pan, no oil, and cook over medium-high heat for 4 min, until the skin is golden and the fat has rendered. Take it out; it does not need to be cooked through yet.

   medium-high heat

5. Cook one serving at a time in a small 16 to 18 cm pan. Add one serving of sauce and onion and simmer over medium heat for 2 min until the onion softens, then add the chicken and cook 3 min more. Cut the largest piece: no pink means it is done. Repeat 2 time(s) in total.

   medium heat

6. For each serving, pour ⅔ of the egg in a circle from the edge inward, cover and cook over medium heat for 45 sec. Pour the rest into the centre, immediately turn the heat heat off, cover and leave 30 sec: the egg will be glossy and just set.

   medium heat→heat off

7. Put the rice in a bowl, tilt the pan and slide the egg and chicken on top in one piece. Scatter with chives and a light pinch of sansho.

   Add in this stepHot cooked short-grain rice 440 gChives (or spring onion) to tasteSansho pepper to taste