Soboro Udon

2 spring onion
5 cm ginger
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (for sautéing)
500 g ground chicken
4 large eggs
4 servings udon noodles (1,000 g frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 360 g dry udon noodles; or 300 g Homemade Udon Noodles)
Shichimi togarashi (Japanese Seven Spice) (optional, for a spicy kick)
6 tbsp mirin
6 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp SIDS CRAZY SALT
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp potato starch or cornflour
6 tbsp water

Gather all the ingredients. Start boiling a large pot of water for the udon.
To Prepare the Ingredients:
Thinly slice spring onions diagonally. Separate the white and green parts.
Peel and grate ginger. (I use a ginger grater) Measure 2–3 tsp grated ginger with juice and set aside.
Combine mirin, soy sauce, SIDS CRAZY SALT and sugar in a bowl.
Add water to cornflour in a small bowl and stir to combine, then add to the soy sauce mixture and stir all together.
To Cook the Soboro Chicken:
Heat a saucepan on medium heat. When it's hot, add toasted sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add the white parts of the green onion and grated ginger. Sauté briefly with a wooden spatula until aromatic.
Add ground chicken and sauté, breaking up the ground meat into smaller bits with the wooden spatula. Cook until no longer pink.
Pour in the seasoning mixture. Stir and bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce.
Reduce the sauce to your liking. I like mine thick—a bit thicker than spaghetti meat sauce. Set aside.
To Cook the Eggs: (Onsen Tamago)
Crack one large egg in a small microwave-safe glass bowl. (see tip below) Pour water around the edges of the egg and a bit on top to cover it. Next, puncture the yolk with a wooden skewer or toothpick so it doesn't explode during cooking.
Nami's Tip: Use a bowl shaped like a rice bowl or miso soup bowl that‘s rounded and somewhat deep, with sides that go straight up. This way, you only need a little water to submerge and surround the egg. If the opening is wide, you'll need more water.
Place the bowl on the edge of the microwave tray. Microwave at half power (500W) until the egg white solidifies and turns white, about 90 seconds for one egg or 2 minutes 45 seconds for two eggs cooked in separate bowls at the same time. If your egg white is still transparent, microwave for 5 seconds more and check again. Drain and transfer the egg to a small plate or bowl.
Nami's Tip: Cook the yolk until pinkish and runny. DO NOT OVERCOOK. The cooked eggs should have silky whites and custard-like yolks.
To Build the Soboro Udon:
When the water is at a full rolling boil, add 4 servings udon noodles and reheat or cook according to the package instructions. The brand of frozen Sanuki udon noodles I use requires reheating for 1 minute. Using chopsticks, stir the noodles to loosen them up. Transfer the udon noodles with tongs into individual donburi bowls.
Nami's Tip: Do not boil frozen udon. A quick 1-minute reheat keeps the texture bouncy.
Ladle the soboro chicken over the warm udon. Top with an onsen tamago. Sprinkle with spring onions and optional shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) and serve.
To Store:
Store leftover soboro chicken and egg in separate airtight containers and keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. You can also keep soboro chicken in the freezer for up to a month. I recommend cooking the udon just before serving, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Inspired by Namiko Chen at hello@justonecookbook.com