Oyako Donburi

Preparation

A donburi is a deep, lidded bowl, which holds about twice as much rice as a regular Japanese rice bowl. If you don't have donburi bowls, you can substitute soup bowls. Oyako donburi is also a good way of using leftover chicken, although it won't taste quite like it does if you use raw chicken.

3 cups (uncooked) short-grain riceSauce:2 cups dashi (bonito or kelp stock), chicken stock, or water (you can also use the water left from soaking the mushrooms)

6 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine) or you can use sake instead 3 tablespoons sugar4 dried shiitake mushrooms4 chicken thighs, skinned, boned and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces 1 medium yellow onion, halved vertically and sliced 8 ounces frozen green peas2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced on the diagonal 4 eggs, lightly beaten1/2 package red kamaboko (fish cake; see note), sliced into matchsticks

Steam the rice.

Pour boiling water over the shiitake and let soak until softened (about 30 minutes). Remove stems and discard. Thinly slice caps.

Mix sauce ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Add the shiitake, chicken and yellow onion. Bring to a boil again and cook over medium heat, stirring, about 5 minutes, until chicken is almost done. Add green peas, stirring to separate, and cook 1-2 minutes to heat through. Add green onions and cook about 1 minute more.

Pour beaten egg over simmering chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring only once when partially set. The egg is supposed to be slightly runny.

It is done when it bubbles at the edges.

Put 1 1/2 to 2 cups rice into each donburi bowl. Spoon chicken and egg mixture over rice. Sprinkle with sliced kamaboko. The hot rice is supposed to do the final cooking of the egg. Serve immediately.

Note: Kamaboko, the half-cylindrical fish cake with the red-dyed edges, is available in the refrigerator section in Asian markets.