Oyako-don literally translates as parent (oya), child (ko) and bowl (don), which is probably because this traditional Japanese dish amusingly contains both the chicken and the egg (…and no what came first jokes!). It is the perfect weekday dish, as you can generally knock it up in the time it takes to cook the rice. It is also wonderfully tasty.
You will probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard or available from your supermarket, but the one above may be a little harder to source. Instant dashi or bonito (skipjack tuna) flavoured soup stock can be found in some asian grocers, and comes in a powdered form. Make sure you get the one in the green pack which is MSG free. It has a mildly fishy taste and is commonwly used when making miso. If you’re feeling adventurous, you may want to try making dashi from scratch (it isn’t hard, but you will need some special ingredients).
Oyako-don (Chicken and Egg with Rice)
Serves 4
2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
200ml cup dashi (instant or home made)
4 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
4 eggs, cracked and beaten
Shredded nori seaweed for garnish
8 cups of cooked hot rice
Place the sliced onion, stock, sugar, soy sauce and mirin into a sauce pan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the diced chicken and cook for five minutes (or until the chicken is cooked). Skim any foam off the sauce.
Ladel a quarter of the mixture into a small frying pan and bring to the boil. Pour a quarter of the egg mixture into the pan and cover and cook to your liking.
Slide the cooked mixture onto the rice and sprinkle with the nori seaweed. Prepare the remaining three portions.
Note: Some may also add sliced green onion or peas to the recipe. If so, add these when you transfer the mixture to the fry pan.
I love Oyako don! will try this out soon!
I love this dish (just not from ITO cafe on Bourke Street).
Hm, might have to scare up the ingredients and give it a go.
Yours look good. This is how my first try at preparing oyako-don turned out
Hey hungry hamster – ooh ooh…another Melbourne food blog. Welcome
Yes, I love a good oyako don too. But I must admit that I’m not a big fan of chicken thigh fillet (which is what most restaurants use), so I think I prefer to make it myself now, especially as it is so easy!
Hi anna – certainly give this one a go yourself. It so SOO much better. Traditionally they use little fry pans with lids to finish (ie. the egg bit), so I must buy myself one so I can do it as authentically as possible (…which really is just another excuse to buy cutesy kitchenware.
Hi junkgirl – ooh, I’m jealous! Yours looks SO much better than mine. I love the way you used the bonito flakes as garnish – I’m impressed!
Mel, EG
You’re off to Japan at the end of the week – did you happen to catch the travel supplement in the Oz on Friday? Lots of great ideas of places to go, including restaurants. A couple recommended by Tetsuya himself. Mrs Ken and I are travelling over there next March/April. Have fun and take some good food photos.
Hi ken – yes, I actually got two copies of the Japan supplement in my one edition of the Oz. How auspicious was that?
Yes, I plan on taking a LOT of photos and eating LOTS of food. I may blog a few whilst on the road (if time/inclination permits), else I will do it all when I get home.
Thanks for your wishes
Japan IS AMAZING. THE FOOD IS AMAZING, IVE NEVER EATEN JAPANESE food until now!! Omg!! You MUST check out the basement food halls of the big departments stores (isitan, marui, seibu, takashimaya)
Or any of the restaurants within these places. omg. you can eat really well for cheap. LEILA
Its really hard to locate specific shops/restaurants too as streets dont really have names and numbers. Its tricky.
Hey mellie, thanks for the recipe! Will store it up to try.
All the best to you and EG for your Japan trip – if it’s cold enough you might chance upon baked/charcoal-roasted sweet potato ala road side stalls in Tokyo. I love them when I was there (waaaay back in old 1999)! Also, there was a really good Japanese restaurant at the top floor of Tokyu Hands @ Tokyo, but then again, I don’t know whether is it still there.
Do go for the ramen stalls by the roads – there was a particularly good one by the station of Akasaka Mitsuke. And also another little beef-rice shop near the main centre of Shibuya that sells FANTASTIC beef rice. I’ve never tasted another Japanese beef rice as good as that one, honest.
Sorry that I am particularly unhelpful with the names though! And like I said, it has been 8 years since I was there, so I think most probably everything’s pretty much changed. But I do love Japan.
Again, have a great trip!
I used to love thigh fillet since they are so soft and tender (b/c of the extra fats), but I think my taste has changed since I grew older. I’m used to eating chicken breasts now and find that thigh meat has quite a strong smell. Not sure if that’s just me or if others have the same issue as well.
My favourite Oyako Don is served up at Misuzu’s…hmm might stroll over there now for a dose
Hi Leila – thanks for the tips! Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Oooh…I so can’t wait to hit all those department stores
And thanks for the tip of no numbers/no street names. I have prepared little maps of all the places I want to go. Hopefully I’ll find them!
Hey there mouse – thanks for your tips as well. The temperature at the moment is quite warm (about 26 – 32 degrees), so looks like I’ll be sticking to ice-cream
EG has his mind set on jiro ramen (amongst many others). We are so looking forward to the adventure!
Hi hungry hamster – I’m with you. I think thigh is only good when your stew it, or cook it down. Else give me breast fillet any day.
Oooh stickyfingers – I haven’t had the misuzu version yet. I must head down there!