Name: Japanese Omurice with Demi-Glace Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese (yoshoku)
Ingredients: 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1/4 cup dry red wine; 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock; 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce; 6 oz boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1/2-inch dice; 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced; 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed, 4 reserved for garnish; 1/4 cup ketchup; 2 cups cooked short-grain rice, preferably day-old; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp whole milk; 1 tbsp neutral oil; to taste kosher salt and black pepper

Japanese Omurice with Demi-Glace Sauce

4.6 from 281 home cooks Free

In classic diner style, buttery chicken ketchup rice gets packed into an oval, draped with a soft, barely set omelette and settled into a pool of glossy demi-glace made from a dark roux, beef stock and red wine. The sauce is richer and less sweet than ketchup alone, which keeps every forkful in balance.

Prep

15 min

Cook

45 min

Total

1 hr

Serves

Level

Medium

Cuisine

Japanese (yoshoku)

Method

Step 1: For the demi-glace, melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the roux is the color of milk chocolate and smells nutty.
Step 2: Whisk in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then the wine, then the stock a little at a time so no lumps form. Add the Worcestershire and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, whisking now and then, until reduced to about 3/4 cup and glossy. Season and keep warm.
Step 3: Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken with salt and pepper for about 4 minutes, until no pink remains, then add the onion for 2 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and cook for 1 minute, until it darkens slightly.
Step 4: Add the rice and most of the peas and toss for about 3 minutes, until evenly red and steaming. Pack half into a small oval bowl, turn it out onto a plate and repeat for the second plate.
Step 5: Beat 2 eggs with 1 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until no streaks remain. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat with 1/2 tbsp oil and 1/2 tbsp butter. Pour in the eggs and stir with chopsticks while shaking the pan for 15 to 20 seconds, until small curds form, then let sit 20 seconds more, until the bottom is set but the top is still shiny.
Step 6: Slide the omelette over one mound of rice so it drapes down the sides, and tuck the edges under with a paper towel to shape a smooth dome. Repeat with the remaining eggs, milk, oil and butter.
Step 7: Spoon the demi-glace around each omelette so it pools on the plate, and set two peas on top.

Kitchen note

Cooking the ketchup in butter for a minute before the rice goes in caramelizes its sugars and drives off the vinegar sharpness, which is why diner-style ketchup rice tastes savory rather than like a condiment.