Omuraisu

Ingredients

• 10½ ozRicewarm, loose grains; base of the dish
• 3Eggbeaten, for the egg layer
• 2 tbspButterfor frying the omelette
• 3 tbspTomato ketchupto season the rice and to spoon over
• 1 tbspOilfor sautéing
• 2 tbspMilkinto the egg mixture; soy milk as alternative
• Saltfor rice and egg mixture
• 3½ ozOnionfinely diced, for the fried rice (optional)
• 2⅛ ozChicken thighcut into 1 cm cubes, for the ketchup rice (optional)
• 2⅛ ozShrimpinstead of chicken, in the pilaf-style rice (optional)
• 1 tbspWorcestershire saucefor the reduced sauce (optional)
• 1 tspSugarrounds off the sauce (optional)
• 1 tbspSakefor the sauce (optional)
• Instant bouillon powdera pinch for the sauce (optional)
• Parsleychopped, for sprinkling (optional)
• Spring onionthinly sliced, garnish for the Japanese-style version (optional)

Method

1. Cook the rice, or have warm, loose rice ready — the grains should fall apart easily rather than clump.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan. If using, dice the onion finely and cut the chicken thigh into roughly one-centimetre cubes, then fry both over medium heat until the onion turns translucent and the chicken is cooked through.
3. Add the rice, break it up with the spatula and fry briefly. Season with tomato ketchup, salt and pepper, then divide between the plates, ideally shaping each portion into a long mound.
4. If you like, make the sauce: stir the tomato ketchup, Japanese brown sauce, sugar, a pinch of instant bouillon powder and the sake together in a small pan and let it reduce over gentle heat until slightly thickened.
5. Beat the eggs with the milk and a little salt until the mixture is an even yellow.
6. Melt half the butter in the pan, pour in half the egg mixture and let it set over medium to low heat, stirring, until half-cooked — the surface should still look moist and glossy.
7. Push the egg against the side of the pan into an oval, or fold it over the rice.
8. Lift the omelette onto the rice, pour over some ketchup or, if you made it, the reduced sauce, and scatter with chopped parsley if you like. Fry a second omelette the same way with the remaining butter and egg mixture and set it on the second plate. Serve straight away.

Tips and variations

Shrimp work just as well as chicken in the rice. For a Japanese-style version without ketchup, cook the rice with diced sweet potato, maitake mushrooms and a grain mix, season it with light soy sauce and salt, whisk the eggs with soy milk and white dashi, and scatter sliced spring onion over at the end. The mixed omelette is quick too: stir shrimp pilaf straight into the beaten eggs and fry portion by portion — serve on leaf salad, with a little grated cheese if you like.