Omurice

In a wok over high heat with a little oil, cook equal parts chopped chicken thigh, diced onion, carrot and pea until they take on colour.

Season with a hefty pinch of salt, open a well in the middle and stir fry about a quarter cup of ketchup to bring out its flavour.

Add day old rice, the same volume as what is already in the pan, and stir fry until the grains separate.

Springtime omurice: combine two cups water, a teaspoon of instant dashi powder and a small can of bamboo shoots in their juices, bring to a boil, drain and return the bamboo liquid to the pot.

Thicken the bamboo dashi with a slurry of one tablespoon cornstarch and two tablespoons water.

Shortcut demi-glace: cook the roux block cubes in water per the packet until thick, then add about half a cup of red wine and two tablespoons of tomato sauce.

Sweet and sour sauce: simmer four tablespoons ketchup, three tablespoons vinegar, four tablespoons brown sugar, half a cup of water and half a teaspoon of salt, then thicken with half a teaspoon of cornstarch in two tablespoons of water.

Crack 36 eggs into a large bowl, blend smooth with an immersion blender so no streaks show, and season with salt.

Pack the ketchup fried rice lightly into the omurice mold so it sets in shape.

In a non-stick pan over high heat with about two tablespoons of vegetable oil, cook one cup of the egg mixture, stirring with chopsticks and scraping the bottom and sides to set it into small curds without overcooking the base.

At about 70 percent cooked, invert the moulded rice into the centre, tuck in the edges and fold into an oval football shape, then turn out onto a plate.

Finish one with a ketchup message written on top.

Variation, okonomiyaki style: alternating stripes of Bulldog sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise, topped with bonito flakes.

Variation, springtime: top with the thickened bamboo dashi glaze, bamboo slices and a sprinkle of chives.

Variation, doria style: melt a cup of shredded mozzarella in a non-stick pan over low to medium heat until smooth, pour over the assembled omurice, surround with the shortcut demi-glace and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Variation, sweet and sour: pour the sweet and sour glaze over the omurice and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Variation, the tornado style: cook one and a half cups of egg on a ripping high heat to set the curds along the edges, wrap it into a football shape with chopsticks without overcooking the edges or the inside, invert onto a bed of fried rice, split down the belly with a thin knife so the molten centre spills out, ladle over the demi-glace and sprinkle with chopped parsley.