More winter comfort food: Oyakodon

Last nights dinner is something I was wary about trying to make myself, but the cravings got too strong and the delivery options at Paradox Place do not include something that looks or tastes by what follows.

Oyakodon translates as 'parent-and-child-rice-bowl,' something I was pleased to learn several years ago. When I lived on the West Side, there was a place that delivered them, and it was love at first bite. It was a frequent dinner until I moved to the other side of the island.

The chicken is simmered with onions in a savory broth, and then an egg is gently cooked with the chicken and the whole thing is served over rice. I lifted this one whole from Just One Cookbook, and I already have two more recipes from this site lined up.

Oyakodon

For two servings (you'll be making these one at a time, unless you have two pans you can use at once)

• 2 chicken thighs, cut into 1.5" (4cm) pieces
• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 2 large eggs (you'll beat these separately)
• 1/2 Cup dashi (available in Japanese food stores. I have concentrate that I keep in the fridge. It's a useful thing for adding umami, but I digress)
• 1.5 Tablespoons mirin
• 1.5 Tablespoons sake 
• 1.5 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice.
• Mitsuba for serving (or green onion, which is what I used this time)
• Shichimi Togarashi for serving (I think this seven-spice blend is one of the most fabulous things on the planet)

I make my rice on the stovetop--living in a studio means I don't have space for a rice cooker, though there's a microwave one I have my eye on. Once I got it simmering, I got started on the oyakodon.

Namiko Hirasawa Chen does a good job of writing recipes, in my opinion. Very easy to follow, very clear. 

• Combine dashi, mirin, sake, soy sauce in a bowl or a liquid measuring cup.
• Add sugar and mix all together until sugar is dissolved. Depending on the frying pan sizes, you may not need all the broth. You can keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 days.
• Thinly slice the onion and chop mitsuba (or green onion). Beat one egg in a small bowl (you will need to beat another egg when you work on the second batch).
• Slice the chicken thigh diagonally and cut into 1.5" (4 cm) pieces. I recommend using “sogigiri” cutting technique so the chicken will be equal thickness and create more surface area for fast cooking.
• Divide your ingredients in half
• Add 1 serving of the onion to your pan in a single layer. Pour roughly ⅓ to ½ of the seasonings mixture (depending on the size of your frying pan, the amount may vary). Pour just enough sauce to cover the onion.
• Add 1 serving of chicken on top of the onion. Make sure the onion and chicken are evenly distributed. Turn on the heat to medium heat and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low heat. Skim off any foam or scum if you see. (I didn't have much at all) Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender. (My stove took 6 minutes or so)
• Taste the broth and see if you need to adjust. Slowly drizzle the beaten egg over the chicken and onion. Cook covered on medium-low heat until the egg is done to your liking. Usually, Oyakdon in Japan is served while the egg is almost set but runny.
• Add the mitsuba (or green onion) right before removing from the heat. Transfer the chicken and egg over the steamed rice and drizzle the desired amount of remaining sauce.

I used a bit too much broth in mine, but the rice absorbed it quite nicely. 

It's not too sweet

 

A few weeks ago, a friend I met through gaming posted an orange chicken recipe that I thought had some potential.  Since I prefer things less sweet and a little more spicy, I'm going to post what I did because there were several changes that worked for me, though you may prefer the original, which is I think resembles what you'll get from a heavily Americanized Chinese restaurant. Please feel free to kick me right in the assumptions and correct me if your experience differs.

For the sauce (add spices a bit at a time and taste as you go):

• 1 Cup low-pulp orange juice (this is being increased to 1.25 cups next time)
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce (thinking of trying tamari next time)
• 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 dried chiles--the type you typically buy in a jar in the spice aisle in the US. I'm short and these were about as long as my little finger--ground to powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle
• Zest from one (Navel) orange

You'll notice a couple things if you compare recipes. I eliminated the sugar and the cornstarch. I just didn't think they were needed. Orange juice is plenty sweet. I also didn't dredge and fry the chicken like in the original recipe. Instead I used the sous vide method, which has the advantage of prep and being able to ignore for an hour. If you have an InstaPot, you might have a sous vide attachment.

I put everything but the zest in a small saucepan, and then put two chicken breasts in vacuum bags and into the waterbath, setting the immersion circulator to 147 degrees F, which works out to 68.9 degrees C and set the timer for 45 minutes, keeping the sauce on simmer the whole time and stirring occasionally.

Once the timer went off, I increased the heat on the sauce to medium (look for tiny bubbles) for fifteen minutes until it was reduced. After 15 minutes, the chicken was done. From there, I turned the heat off of the sauce stirred in the zest, de-bagged the chicken, patted it dry and cut it into bite-sized piece. I put the pieces in a large plastic container with a lid, added half the sauce, stirred, and then covered it (tightly) with the lid and shook it within an inch of its life, aka until evenly coated to my eyes.

This can go over rice, though I wasn't in the mood for rice. As sides, I put some mushrooms (a nice mix of shitake, maitake, and enoki was on sale), and some snow peas in a pan with a bit of oil and a bit of soy sauce. I'm really pleased with the results. 

If you try this, please let me know your variations!