Omurice

A yoshoku (Western-style Japanese food) classic, omurice is a fried rice dish topped with a softly set omelette, dating back to 1900s Japan. Often served with a spoonful of demi-glace over the omelette, this easier version by Takashi Wakasugi serves the omurice with a drizzle of Japanese mayonnaise and ketchup instead.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  2

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (40 ml) vegetable oil
• 100 g chicken mince
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• Shio kosho seasoning (see Note)
• 2 cups cooked white sushi rice (350 g) (see Note)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) tomato sauce combined with 2 tsp water, plus extra to serve
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• 20 g butter
• 4 eggs
• Japanese mayonnaise, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium (24-26 cm) nonstick frying pan over high heat. When the oil lightly smokes, add the chicken mince. Cook for 3 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon, or until cooked through and lightly browned. Add the onion, carrot and a sprinkling of shio kosho. Cook for a further 3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
2. Add the rice to the pan and toss for 3 minutes, or until the rice is lightly toasted. Transfer the fried rice to a medium bowl. Pour over the thinned tomato sauce mixture and toss lightly to coat each grain of rice with the sauce mixture. Add the spring onion and toss to coat. Spoon the rice mixture into a small heatproof bowl, packing it down, then invert onto a serving plate – do not unmould until just before serving, to keep the rice warm!
3. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and return to low heat. Add the butter to the pan. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk with a generous pinch of salt. Gently pour the eggs into the pan, tilting to coat the base of the pan. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down any wispy edges back in towards the omelette. Slowly push the eggs towards the centre of the pan, rotating the pan as you go, until the eggs are just set (1-2 minutes). The surface should still look loose and creamy, if they are too runny, allow to cook undisturbed for a few more seconds or tilt the egg to the edges of the pan (where it will cook faster). Remove from the heat.
4. Unmould the rice, then slide the open-face omelette over the rice mound. Drizzle with tomato sauce and mayonnaise and serve immediately.

Notes

• Shio kosho (“salt and pepper”) is a type of convenience Japanese seasoning often containing a small quantity of MSG, is available from Asian grocery stores. If you don’t have any, substitute with salt and black pepper instead.
• Tomato sauce refers to the bottled product – also known as ketchup.
• If using day-old rice, transfer to a medium bowl and break rice up with your hands into individual grains before proceeding.
  

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.