Soy-cured egg rice

This traditional Japanese snack, known as tamago gohan (egg-rice) is essentially egg-fried rice without the frying: a bowl of soy sauce-seasoned hot rice, stirred through with a raw egg yolk. I prefer a soy-cured egg yolk, but they can be a bit too jammy to mix into the rice properly, so I add another, unadorned yolk at service. The eggs’ marinating time is flexible, but this is a great breakfast dish, and the length of a good night’s sleep is the sweet spot. It is also superbly well-paired with some of the pickles on pages 133–5, which likewise can be prepared the day before. A note about eggs – in 2017 British eggs were declared safe to eat raw (or lightly cooked, as here) provided they have the Lion stamp.

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 8 hours
Makes: Brunch for 2 

INGREDIENTS

• 40ml soy sauce, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 tablespoon mirin
• 4 egg yolks
• 150g long- or medium-grain rice
• Furikake, shichimi togarashi or sesame seeds (optional)

METHOD

1. Mix 25ml of soy sauce and the mirin in a small bowl, then slide in two of the egg yolks, topping up with soy to make sure they’re covered. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 8–10 hours. Give them a swirl halfway (but only if you happen to be awake).
   
   
2. To cook the rice, first wash it three times in a small saucepan to remove excess starch, then add 300ml of water and bring it to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a bare simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 8 minutes.
   
   
3. Remove the rice from the heat and leave for 10 minutes, still covered, to finish cooking.
   
   
4. Divide the hot cooked rice into two bowls. Add an unmarinated egg yolk along with 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce to each bowl, and stir through vigorously so that the yolk gently cooks as it coats the rice. Top with a marinated egg yolk and a sprinkling of furikake, shichimi or sesame seeds.