Ayam Katsudon

Instructions

1. Before You Start: Gather all the ingredients. For the steamed rice, please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice, enough for 2 donburi servings (3⅓ cups, 500 g). See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
2. Place ¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour), 1 large egg (50 g w/o shell) beaten, and 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) in individual bowls or plates. Next, season 7 oz chicken tenders with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. To bread the chicken, dust each piece with the flour and shake off any excess. Then, dip it into the beaten egg to coat completely. Finally, coat the chicken with the panko, pressing the panko into the cutlet so that it adheres well. Remove any excess. Set the breaded cutlets on a plate.
3. Heat 3 cups neutral oil in a frying pan. Shallow-fry the panko-coated chicken at 340ºF (170ºC) until golden brown. Remove the chicken and place it on a wire rack or plate lined with paper towels to drain the extra oil.
4. In another (or a clean) frying pan, add thin slices of ½ onion and all the ingredients for the seasonings—⅔ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 1½ Tbsp sake, 1½ Tbsp mirin, 1½ Tbsp soy sauce, and 1½ tsp sugar. Cover and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and cook the onions, covered, until wilted.
5. Place the chicken katsu on top of the onion slices and turn the heat up to medium. While you're waiting for it to heat up, prepare the eggs by lightly “cutting” the egg whites with chopsticks 5–6 times into smaller clumps so the yolks and whites are marbled (do not whisk or beat). Once the cooking liquid is simmering, evenly distribute 2 large eggs (50 g w/o shell) over the chicken katsu and onion in a circular pattern, avoiding the edges of the pan where the eggs can easily be overcooked. Cover to cook until the eggs are set to your liking, roughly 30 seconds. Tip: For more tips and tricks for "cutting" and cooking the eggs, see my Oyakodon recipe.
6. Top with the chopped 4 sprigs of mitsuba (Japanese parsley) and turn off the heat. Divide 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice into individual bowls. Gently transfer the simmered katsu and eggs on top of the steamed rice. Sprinkle the top with ichimi togarashi (Japanese chili pepper) for a spicy kick. Enjoy!
7. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.