NOW that the evenings are getting cooler, it’s nice to have a warm, comforting bowl of rice topping when you come home for dinner. Here’s a chicken-and-rice dish that’s delicious and very easy to prepare. In fact, you can prep the ingredients the night before or early in the morning and store them in the refrigerator. When you come home from work, you can just throw the whole thing together and dinner will be ready in 15 minutes or less.

Children especially love this dish because it’s tasty and, since the chicken has already been pre-sliced, it’s easy to eat.

Chicken Donburi

4 servings

4-6 fresh shiitake mushrooms
8 boneless chicken thigh fillets
2-4 stalks leeks, white part only
3 tbsp sugar
½ c water
½ c soy sauce (preferably light or reduced-sodium soy sauce)
1/3 c mirin
1 tbsp rice vinegar
4-6 eggs

To serve:
4 c cooked rice

Remove stems from mushrooms and discard stems. Slice mushrooms into strips. Slice chicken into bite-size pieces. Cut the leeks into one-inch lengths.

In a large saucepan with cover, stir together sugar, water, soy sauce, mirin and vinegar. Add the prepared mushrooms and chicken. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Add the leeks.

Beat eggs in a bowl and pour evenly on top of the simmering mixture, covering as much of the surface as possible. Cover pan and cook over low heat until eggs are set, about one to two minutes.

Put the cooked rice into four individual serving bowls. Arrange some chicken and egg mixture on top of each rice bowl, dividing equally. Spoon some sauce into each bowl. Serve immediately.

Tips

If you can’t find fresh shiitake mushrooms, use the dried ones. Remove and discard the stems. Soften mushrooms in warm water for about 20 minutes before using.

Mirin is a sweet, low-alcohol wine made from glutinous rice. It’s available in Japanese groceries and the Oriental food section of large supermarkets.

Chicken thigh fillets are available in the chicken stations of large supermarkets such as SM, Cash & Carry and Waltermart. You can also buy whole chicken thighs and debone them yourself, then slice into bite-size pieces.

When slicing the chicken, do not remove the skin. Chicken skin may contain some fat but it makes the chicken more tender and flavorful.

You can also use chicken breasts or a combination of chicken breasts and thighs. Do not overcook the chicken so it won’t be tough.

If you use a wide-brimmed saucepan, you may need more than six medium eggs to cover the surface of the pan. For smaller pans, four eggs would be enough.

For a touch of authenticity, serve these on Japanese bowls and use chopsticks instead of spoon and fork.