Japanese oyakodon chicken and egg rice bowl
Chicken thigh and onion simmered in a soy-mirin broth, then set with softly cooked egg and slid over hot rice — lunch on the table in 15 minutes.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: A balanced constitution simply needs to clear summer heat and look after the stomach at Minor Heat. When the heat dulls the appetite, this saucy, silky bowl goes down easily: chicken tonifies the middle and boosts qi, egg nourishes yin and onion wakes up the stomach. It's all made in one pan, so you're not stuck by a hot hob for long.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Lightly beat the eggs — a few streaks of white give a nicer texture.
- 2In a small frying pan, bring the water, soy sauce, mirin and sugar to the boil, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes until soft.
- 3Add the chicken in a single layer and simmer for 6–7 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.
- 4Turn the heat down low, pour in about two-thirds of the egg from the outside in, cover for 1 minute, then add the rest, cover for 30 seconds and turn off the heat.
- 5Slide the chicken, egg and sauce onto the hot rice and scatter with spring onion and nori.
Cautions
- The soy sauce and mirin are salty-sweet; halve them if you watch your blood pressure or blood sugar.
Chef's tips
- Adding the egg in two goes gives a set base and a silky top; cook it a little longer if you prefer fully set egg.
The TCM view
Chicken is sweet and warm, warming the middle and boosting qi; egg is sweet and neutral, nourishing yin, moistening dryness and nourishing blood. Onion is pungent and warm, regulating qi and harmonising the stomach, and white rice tonifies the middle and strengthens the spleen. Gently savoury-sweet and softly set, it warms without drying — everyday summer care for a balanced constitution.
