Masaharu Morimoto
Makes 1 hearty meal

This rice bowl is elegantly simple-10 simple that you might flip past this page without giving it a second thought. Do not make this mistake! Oyako means “parent and child” and refers poetically to the rice bowl’s star ingredients, chicken and egg. The pairing might not sound exciting, but I assure you that once they’re simmered in a magical mixture of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin, they transform into an incredibly satisfying dish that’s so much more than the sum of its parts.

People often cook this dish in a special oyako don pan, but you’ll have great success in a small skillet. Just don’t try to double or quadruple the amounts in a larger skillet-it won’t turn out right. Instead, treat this dish as a great lunch or dinner for yourself. You deserve it!
oil

⅓ cup dashi
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
5 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into about 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon toasted sesame
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup very thinly sliced scallions (white and light green parts), preferably cut into long diagonal slices
1 ½ cups cooked short-grain white rice (page 33), hot
Large pinch kizame (shredded) nori or ¼ nori seaweed sheet, cut into thin strips with scissors

Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a medium bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Combine the chicken and sesame oil in a small skillet, stir well, and set it over medium-high heat. Once the chicken begins to sizzle, cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the dashi mixture, and let it come to a simmer. In a steady stream, pour the eggs evenly over the chicken and sprinkle the scallions on top. Cover the skillet with a lid, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, shaking the pan occasionally to make sure the eggs don’t stick to the skillet, until the eggs have just fully set, 6 to 8 minutes. There will be a little liquid left in the skillet.

Spoon the rice into a shallow serving bowl. Bring the skillet to the bowl, then tilt and wiggle the skillet to slide the contents, liquid and all, onto the rice. Top with the nori. Eat right away.