Chicken & Rice: What Else Do You Need?

QUICK AND DIRTY WEDNESDAY
CHICKEN AND EGG ON RICE: OYAKODON 


How many countries have a classic chicken and rice dish? I know one of my favorite meals at my friend's house is arroz con pollo, rice and chicken. 


My taste buds melt at the thought of arroz con pollo... 


As I write, my stomach is making a noise similar to a lawnmower hitting a chunk of wood. That's how good it is. And maybe she'll share the recipe (hint, hint) for the blog. But I've got another chicken and rice dish for you, another recipe I've brought home from Japan. This is my go-to meal and a family favorite. It’s simple, fairly healthy, and very cheap to make. 

Oyakodon 

Oyakodon literally translates as parent and child (oyoko) rice bowl (don), but the basic translation is chicken and egg on rice. A very traditional meal that you can find in many restaurants and homes in Japan, this is another simple and delicious Japanese dish that doesn't involve raw fish.


One of these days maybe  I'll slip raw fish into the mix, but I'd rather inspire you with these great comfort foods from Japan that are easy to make outside the country. 

chicken & onion in sauce

OYAKODON, THE RECIPE: 

It should serve 4 people, but the ratios are easy to double.

*3-4 chicken thighs: deboned, deskinned and cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, sliced thin
4 TB soy sauce
4 TB mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine, easy to find now in major supermarkets)
3 tsp sugar
1 c. water
3 beaten eggs

Hot cooked rice (3-4 cups). Japanese rice is short grain, stickier and less dry than long grain. But use what you've got. That's my motto.

1. Combine all ingredients in a skillet except the egg and rice. Boil for about 4 minutes (until chicken no longer looks pink).
2. Add the beaten egg in a thin stream, turning the pan, so that it covers the cooked mixture.
3. Continue to cook until eggs are almost firm.
4. Scoop rice into individual bowls and ladle chicken and egg mixture on top of the rice.

   

   Adding beaten egg

   
   

You can’t get much easier than that! 

*To make it healthier, you could use chicken breast meat. Japanese people generally use thigh meat, but we’ve cooked with breast. Just be sure not to cook it too long. 

Letting eggs set

Now it's your turn! Do you have a simple chicken and rice dish from your expat country or something similar? Let's swap recipes. Send it to me and I'll post it in a Quick and Dirty Wednesday.