Oyako Donburi (Parent-Child Bowl)
Oya means "parent" and ko means "child." Donburi means "large bowl," the fanciful name for this chicken-and-egg dish is a humorous play on the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. This classic one-bowl meal is simply a chicken omelet, poached in a broth seasoned with sugar and salty soy sauce and served on rice.

Ingredients
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2 or 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
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10 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts
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1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth*
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1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
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2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
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1/4 cup dry rice wine (sake)
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2 whole bamboo shoots (about 12 ounces each), peeled, and sliced into thin strips (about 1-1/2 cups total) or one 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained
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2 green onions, sliced
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1/2 cup frozen green peas
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4 ounces flake-style imitation crabmeat (surimi) (1 cup)
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4 eggs, beaten
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3 or more cups of hot cooked rice
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1 sheet (8-inch square) toasted nori (seaweed), cut into shreds
Directions
1.
Pour a small amount of boiling water over dried mushrooms; let stand about 5 minutes or until softened. Drain mushrooms and cut caps into thin slices, discarding stems. Set aside.
2.
Cut chicken into thin bite-size strips (about 1-1/3 cups). Cook chicken, covered, in chicken broth in a large saucepan for 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, bamboo shoots, green onions, peas, and mushrooms; return mixture to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add imitation crabmeat; heat through. Push solids to one side of saucepan. Slowly pour the beaten eggs all at once into the center of the liquid. Cook over low heat (do not boil) just until eggs set, stirring liquid gently once or twice only to prevent omelet from sticking. Try to avoid breaking eggs into find strands.
3.
To serve, spoon mixture over hot rice in large individual bowls and garnish with shredded nori. Makes four (3/4-cup rice and 1-cup soup) servings.
Nutrition Tip
To reduce sodium content, use homemade chicken broth without added salt.
Recipe adapted from Shoyu: How to Cook, published by and available from Women's Ministry Group of the Anaheim Japanese Free Methodist Church.
Food exchanges
3 starch, 3-1/2 meat, 1/2 fat
Nutrition information
Calories 409, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Sodium 1295 mg, Carbohydrate 49 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 31 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 13%, Iron 24%.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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