Who is the parent? The chicken or the egg?

There has been extensive debate on the subject of who the parent is-the chicken or the egg? Well, while everyone has their philosophical stance on the subject, there is one thing we can all agree on: chicken and egg taste good together. There are many 'parent and child' recipes out there, such as chicken caeser salad, chicken and egg fried rice, and chicken and egg pad thai, but if I had to choose one recipe that brings out the best of the parent and the child, it would have to be 'Oyakodon'-a popular Japanese dish that literally means 'parent and child'. Oyakodon represents the cooking philosophy behind Japanese cuisine: fresh and lean ingredients+light and flavoursome sauces+simple and quick cooking techniques=delicious and healthy dishes. The chicken and onions are braised in a sweet soy braising liquid, and the beaten eggs are added at the end of the cooking process not only to add body, but also a velvety dimension to the dish. The parent and the child form a harmonious combination of both flavour and texture. So here is how you make the Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl (Oyakodon):

Oyakodon

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 200ml instant dashi stock (‘Dashino-moto’, or instant dashi powder, is readily available from large Asian grocers)
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cooking sake
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 4 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water and sliced
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 400g chicken thighs, chopped into small (around 1-inch) chunks
• 6 eggs, beaten lightly
• chopped coriander or chives for garnish

Method:

1. Add dashi stock, soy sauce, cooking sake, sugar and mirin to a frying pan, turn the stove on to medium high heat and cook till the sugar has dissolved
2. Add the sliced onions, garlic and shitake mushrooms, and cook, covered, until the onions start to soften
3. Add the chopped chicken and cook covered for 6-7 minutes or until chicken is tender
4. Pour the egg mixture over the chicken mixture, cook, covered, over low heat for about 2-3 minutes or until egg just sets. Note: the egg mixture should be just set, as we are not after scrambled eggs here. Remove from heat and keep covered to cook the egg mixture a while longer, if desired
5. Serve Oyakodon with steamed rice in a bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander or chives.