You could call it an omelet if you wanted, but you’d be wrong. Oyakodon, otherwise known as Parent and Child, is eggs cooked over chicken and onions, with a light sauce. It’s more than an omelet, and it’s way more versatile since you can eat it over rice just as easily as noodles, or even on its own.
There are two characteristics to this recipe which massively set it apart from a Western-style omelet: the sugar and the size of the meat. The sugar makes it so that onions get super caramelized and their flavor is ultra-concentrated, and it also adds a sort of syrupy quality to the drippings leftover after cooking, which can be poured over the top as a kind of saucy dressing. The chicken is cur roughly, into larger cubes. You would never find meat of such a size added to a Western-style omelet, because in those recipes the meat is usually cured and used mainly for flavor. But in Oyakodon, the chicken is there for flavor as well as texture, and it gives a bite and chew to the otherwise silky and bouncy texture of the surrounding egg. I like to hit it with a little chili oil to add some heat, but it’s absolutely flavorful enough on its own.
Butter Count: It’s Japanese
INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken thighs, roughly cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 eggs, very lightly beaten
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine the chicken, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside for about 20 minutes.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the onions and cook about 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken, using a rubber spatula to transfer all of the liquid out of the marination bowl. Cook the chicken about 2 minutes on each side.
Pour the eggs into the center of the pan, and tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread the eggs evenly to the sides. Add a lid and cook about 2 minutes.
Serve over rice with some chili oil and sliced green onions!