Japanese Katsudon Recipes

Steps:

• To make the dashi, bring the water and kombu up to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Fish out the kombu, then add the bonito, and allow to steep for 2 or 3 minutes. Skim off any scum on the surface, and pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Keep in the fridge.
• To make the cutlets, put the flour, egg and panko in three separate wide bowls. Generously season each cutlet with salt and pepper on both sides. Dip them, one at a time, in the flour, then the egg, then the panko, making sure each cutlet is totally covered in crumbs. Pour vegetable oil into a large, wide skillet until it's just under an inch high, and set over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry cutlets until golden brown and crisp, turning after 3 minutes, and frying for a total of 6 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool, then slice into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2/3 cup dashi, soy sauce, mirin, onion, ginger and peas, if using. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion has softened. Carefully place the sliced cutlets on top of the onion and broth. Cover, and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Crack eggs into a small bowl, and beat them with a fork, then pour all along the top of the cutlets. Don't stir, just cover and cook until the eggs are just about set but still slightly wobbly. To serve, heap rice into bowls, then slide cutlet slices, eggs and broth on top of each. Sprinkle with scallions.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan, fry the sliced onion until golden brown, then add the tonkatsu (see recipe here), placing it in the middle of the pan. Mix the dashi, soy, mirin and sugar together and tip three-quarters of the mixture around the tonkatsu. Sizzle for a couple of mins so the sauce thickens a little and the tonkatsu reheats.
• Tip the beaten eggs around the tonkatsu and cook for 2-3 mins until the egg is cooked through but still a little runny. Divide the rice between two bowls, then top each with half the egg and tonkatsu mix, sprinkle over the chives and serve immediately, drizzling with a little more soy if you want an extra umami kick.

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine dashi, sake, mirin, soy sauce and sugar; stir to dissolve sugar. Set aside.
• Heat a small (6- or 7-inch) nonstick (or well-seasoned carbon steel) slope-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the skin side of each piece of chicken until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes (meat will still be mostly raw). Transfer to a cutting board, skin-side down. Dice into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook chicken and egg in two batches: In a small bowl, beat two eggs until yolks and whites are broken, but still distinct. Return skillet to medium-high heat, wiping out any excess grease. Add half the sliced onions and half the sauce (about 1/3 cup), and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until onions just begin soften. Add half the cut-up chicken; simmer for another 1 to 3 minutes, stirring, until chicken is white on the outside.
• Pour about half of the beaten eggs around the pan; let cook undisturbed for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the beaten eggs, and half the mitsuba or scallion. Adjust heat to low, and cook 20 seconds longer. Cover pan with a lid or foil and remove from heat. After a minute, uncover pan; eggs should be wobbly, but not raw (if they need more cooking, return the covered pan briefly to the heat).
• Carefully slide egg, chicken and sauce onto a bowl of cooked rice, trying to keep the mixture from flipping over. Repeat Steps 3 to 5 with remaining ingredients. Serve with shichimi togarashi, if desired.

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup water into an 8-inch skillet. Add the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and instant dashi powder and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the onions and cover the skillet. Simmer, stirring once or twice, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
• Lift the tonkatsu with a slotted spatula and transfer to the skillet. Hold the slices together so the cutlet maintains its shape. Cover and simmer until warm, about 1 minute. (If you're using just-cooked tonkatsu, you can skip this step.)
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour half of the beaten egg evenly in a thin stream around the pan and pour the remaining half across the tonkatsu. Cover and gently simmer until the eggs are just set, 1 to 2 minutes. (It's better to slightly undercook the eggs than to overcook them; they'll continue to set after they're removed them from the heat.)
• Add the rice to a serving bowl. Tilt the skillet over the rice and carefully slide the contents, including the juices, over the rice, making sure the tonkatsu maintains its shape. Sprinkle with the scallions and shichimi togarashi, if using.