Riz à l'œuf cru (Tamagokake Gohan)

Get the rice very hot

The rice must be steaming hot, straight from the cooker or reheated covered until it's piping again. The heat of the rice is what very lightly cooks the edges of the raw egg white and turns the whole dish silky instead of just wet.

• 2 bowls (about 400 g) hot rice

✅ C'est prêt quand : the rice is visibly steaming and hot to the touch through the chopsticks

Crack and check the egg

Crack the egg into a small bowl on its own and give it a quick smell and look before using it, since it will stay raw. Use only eggs that are very fresh or specifically sold for eating raw.

• 2 eggs

✅ C'est prêt quand : the egg looks and smells perfectly fresh, with no off odor

Season the egg first

Whisk the egg with chopsticks for about 20 seconds until frothy and pale, then stir in the soy sauce and mirin right into the egg, not onto the rice. Seasoning the egg first spreads the flavor evenly and softens the raw-egg smell.

• 2–4 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mirin

✅ C'est prêt quand : the egg is frothy, pale yellow and smells only of soy sauce, not of raw egg

Mix into the rice

Pour the seasoned egg over the hot rice and mix quickly with chopsticks in wide circular, cutting strokes, lifting the rice from the bottom of the bowl. Keep mixing for about 20 seconds, until the rice turns glossy and every grain is coated in a thin, creamy film.

• 2 bowls (about 400 g) hot rice (from step 1)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the rice looks glossy and lightly thickened, with no pools of loose egg left

Garnish and eat right away

Scatter over spring onion, bonito flakes and nori if using, and eat immediately with a spoon or chopsticks. Tamagokake gohan loses its silky texture if it sits, so serve it the moment it's mixed.

• 2 spring onions
• a small handful bonito flakes
• 1 sheet nori