Eating Seasonally with Chef Owada: Daikan "great cold" (Jan 20 to Feb 3)

Amount	Ingredient
1 serving (150g)	cooked rice
100g	chicken thigh
¼ (30g)	small onion
2	eggs
3 tbsp.	water
1 tbsp.	maple syrup
1 tbsp.	soy sauce

*shichimi chili powder, nori seaweed (to taste, if you have them)

1. Slice the onions and chicken thinly, and place on a cold frying pan.
2. Add the combined water, maple syrup, and soy sauce to the frying pan and boil on high.
3. Crack the eggs in a bowl and scramble very lightly, while keeping the yolks and whites separate. Once the chicken has cooked through, add the egg in two portions. Pay close attention to the heat and adjust if necessary; you do not want the liquid to evaporate completely. Use a lid to steam if necessary, and cook until desired doneness (keeping the eggs a little runny is recommended.)

It's done!!

• This is the coldest period of winter, called the Great Cold, Daikan (大寒), in the 24 solar terms. During this period, it is considered lucky to eat eggs laid during the cold, known as Daikan eggs. In the past, chickens ate a lot of food before winter to store up the nutrition, and when winter arrived, they sat still without laying any eggs. For this reason, eggs laid during this time are said to be packed with nutrients and have high nutritional value. This time, I have decided to make oyakodon with eggs of such origins coupled with a quintessential Canadian winter treat, maple.
• It is important to cook the chicken thoroughly.
  First, add onions, chicken, and seasonings and cook until the chicken is mostly cooked-through. We don't need to bother with the lid at this time.
  Next, beat the eggs very lightly. It is best to keep the yolks and whites separate.
  We'll be adding the eggs in two steps. For the first pour, put in about ⅔ of the eggs.
  I like to put in most of the whites, with just a little of the yolk. Cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are about halfway done.
  To finish, pour the remainder of the yolks, and put the lid on while cooking over low heat. How much you cook the eggs is up to you, but I recommend leaving the yolks soft.
• Substituting the chicken for pork will yield a dish called tanin-don 他人丼 (oyako-don 親子丼 means "parent & child bowl" because eggs are laid by chickens, but pigs and eggs are tanin 他人 "strangers"!) This is also delicious, so give it a try!

You can experience a richer aroma by heating this sake to about 40–45°C.
Savour the long aftertaste which combines a pleasant acitity and umami with harmonizing bitterness.
This pairs wonderfully with the savoury oyakodon, which features maple, chicken and egg.