Name: Tamago Kake Gohan
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 200 g Japanese short-grain rice, about 1 cup; 240 ml water; 2 very fresh eggs, pasteurized in the shell outside Japan; 4 tsp soy sauce, about 2 teaspoons per egg, plus more to taste; 1 sheet toasted nori, cut into thin strips, optional; 1 scallion, thinly sliced, optional

Tamago kake gohan, often shortened to TKG, is just hot steamed rice, a raw egg and soy sauce. It is an everyday Japanese breakfast, quick enough to make while the rice is still steaming. The hot rice warms the egg and thickens it into a silky, savory coating, and the soy sauce seasons it.

Technique is small but it matters. Whisk the egg with chopsticks for a good 30 seconds, until the whites lose their stringiness and turn foamy, then pour it over rice that is truly hot. Add the soy sauce only a little at a time, tasting as you go. Because the egg is raw, this is a dish for very fresh, high-quality eggs.

Tamago Kake Gohan is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.

method

Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water, rubbing gently, until the water runs almost clear. Drain, then soak in the 240 ml of water for 30 minutes.

Bring the rice and soaking water to a boil in a covered pot over medium-high heat. Reduce to the lowest heat and cook for 12 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to finish steaming.

While the rice rests, take the eggs out of the fridge so they lose the chill, and crack them into a small bowl. Beat them with chopsticks for 30 seconds, until the whites are no longer stringy and the mixture is smooth and slightly foamy.

Fluff the rice with a wet paddle and divide it between two bowls. The rice must be steaming hot. Make a shallow well in the center of each bowl.

Pour the egg into the wells and stir with chopsticks, folding it through the rice so every grain is coated and the egg starts to set slightly in the heat. Alternatively, leave the yolk whole in the center, as in the photo, and break it at the table.

Add the soy sauce, a teaspoon at a time, stirring and tasting until the rice is seasoned the way you like it. Top with nori strips and scallion and eat at once.

chef's tips

Food safety: raw eggs can carry salmonella. Eggs sold in Japan are washed and dated for raw eating. Eggs elsewhere are not, so use pasteurized in-shell eggs. Skip this dish for pregnant women, young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system.
The rice must be piping hot. Day-old, cold or microwaved rice will not coat properly and the egg will taste raw.
For a fluffier version, separate the eggs, whip the whites to a foam, fold in the yolk and pour over the rice. A splash of mirin or dashi in the soy sauce rounds out the flavor.