Japanese Butter Shoyu Rice

1. Start hot
2. The rice must be freshly cooked and steaming. Cold rice won’t melt the butter properly.
3. Add the butter
4. Place cold butter directly on top of the hot rice. Let it sit for 10 seconds to begin melting.
5. Add soy sauce
6. Pour soy sauce over the butter. The heat begins to melt everything together.
7. Drop the yolk
8. Make a small well in the centre and carefully add the egg yolk.
9. Mix at the table
10. Stir everything together — the butter, soy, and yolk create a rich, glossy sauce that coats every grain.
11. Add nori
12. Lay torn nori pieces over the top and eat immediately before they go soft.

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Notes:

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• Short-grain Japanese rice is non-negotiable — long grain won’t give you the right stickiness
• Adjust soy to taste — salty-savoury but not overwhelming
• Nori adds a sea-umami element that pulls everything together

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