Soborodon

Japanese people have a thing for naming things for the vessel they come in (see nabe), and this is no exception. Donburi literally means “bowl”, but it typically refers to a bowl of rice topped with something. Japanese people also like abbreviating things, so donburi becomes “don” in common parlance.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 5 cups cooked rice
2. 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
3. 2/5 cup water reserved from soaking mushrooms
4. 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
5. 3 tbsp Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
6. 2/5 cup + 1 tbsp dashi stock
7. 1 tsp sugar
8. 4 eggs
9. 1 tbsp sake
10. salt
11. 200 g ground chicken
12. 1/2 tsp ginger juice
13. 80 g ( 3 oz. ) snow peas

Directions

1. Soak the mushrooms in 5/6 C (200ml) of lukewarm water for 20 minutes to soften. Remove the stems and reserve a 2/5 C of the soaking water. Combine the reserved water, 1 T each of the soy sauce and mirin, 2/5 C of the dashi, and the sugar and mushrooms in a saucepan. Cover with a drop-lid and the pan lid. Simmer until most of the liquid is gone. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
2. Beat the eggs with the sake and a pinch of salt. Pour into a heated, ungreased skillet and scramble.
3. Combine the chicken, remaining soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, and the ginger juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the broth is neatly gone.
4. Trim the peas and boil in lightly salted water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and spread out in a colander to cool. Thinly slice at a diagonal.
5. Divide the hot rice among 4 individual serving bowls. Arrange 1/4 of the chicken, egg, mushrooms, and peas over each portion of rice.

Notes