What If Series (3): What if ChatGPT talked about Oyakodon with Yuzan Kaibara

【Yuzan Kaibara】ChatGPT. You gave me an incorrect explanation of sushi, which got you banned from the Gourmet Club last week, but I heard from #Oyakodon head chef Nakagawa that you have been training at #Tamahide in Nihonbashi, the originator of head chef Nakagawa, so I have come all this way. I will judge the results of your training at 'Tamahide', but before that, explain why ramen bowls don't have lids, while Oyakodon bowls do. You should know this, but I shower even other people's restaurants with abuse if I am given incorrect explanations, so be prepared and explain the mystery of the bowl lid without making any mistakes!

【ChatGPT】Yuzan Kaibara-sama, thank you for coming. As you pointed out, I will explain why ramen bowls do not have lids while Oyakodon bowls do.

This difference stems from the cooking and serving methods of each dish. First, in the case of ramen, it is served immediately after cooking, so a lid is unnecessary. It is desirable to eat ramen while it is piping hot, and if you put a lid on it, steam tends to get trapped, making the noodles soggy, so lids are usually not used.

On the other hand, Oyakodon is a dish where the ingredients are steamed and simmered to cook the egg, which is then placed over rice. In the case of Oyakodon, putting a lid on during the final stage of cooking to steam and simmer it makes the egg fluffy. This steaming process is a cooking method unique to Oyakodon, which is why a lid is necessary.

In other words, the difference is that ramen does not have a lid to maintain the texture of the noodles while serving it piping hot, whereas Oyakodon has a lid to properly cook the ingredients and enhance their compatibility with the rice. Thus, the characteristics and serving methods of each dish create the difference in whether or not a bowl has a lid.

【Yuzan Kaibara】Hmph. Before you went to train at 'Tamahide', you spouted such utter nonsense as, 'For bowl dishes like Oyakodon, using a lid allows you to steam the ingredients. This makes the ingredients tender and the flavor uniform. By using a lid, you can retain heat and keep the whole thing warm. This is especially important for takeout and delivery. A bowl dish is a dish completed in a single bowl. By using a lid, you can trap the aroma of the ingredients along with the beauty of the appearance.' But it seems your training has yielded at least some results.

　You still don't understand the basics of cooking at all, but have you realized what was wrong with your explanation before you went to train at 'Tamahide'?

【ChatGPT】Yuzan Kaibara-sama, thank you for pointing that out. Indeed, there were parts of my previous explanation that could lead to misunderstandings. In particular, regarding bowl dishes like Oyakodon, improvements are needed in the following points.

Misunderstanding the purpose of using a lid: Previously, I explained that the purpose of using a lid for Oyakodon was to make the ingredients tender and the flavor uniform. However, this explanation was incomplete. In reality, the main reason for using a lid for bowl dishes like Oyakodon is to make the egg fluffy and keep the heat uniform. It is important for maintaining the gentle texture unique to egg dishes and the state where the egg soaks into the rice.

Misunderstanding the importance for takeout and delivery: In my previous explanation, I stated that a lid is important for takeout and delivery, but this was a misinterpretation of the role of a lid in general bowl dishes. In reality, the main purpose of a lid lies in its role during the cooking process.

Overestimating the function of trapping the beauty of appearance and aroma: For bowl dishes like Oyakodon, the lid mainly serves a function during the cooking process. While it may partly trap the beauty of appearance and aroma, this is not the primary function of a lid in bowl dishes as a whole.

In the above points, my previous explanation was inaccurate and could have led to misunderstandings. Through my training at 'Tamahide', I have been able to correct these misunderstandings. I am grateful for your guidance, Yuzan Kaibara-sama.

【Yuzan Kaibara】You fool!　You don't understand the nature of basic ingredients like eggs, so you are repeating the same mistakes again!　Why does an egg harden when heated!? It is because the protein in the egg undergoes thermal denaturation and thermal coagulation when heated, but the thermal coagulation temperature of an egg varies depending on conditions such as the heating temperature, heating rate, atmospheric pressure, and the salt content in the broth. Depending on these conditions, generally, the yolk begins to coagulate around 65°C and fully coagulates above 75°C, while the egg white begins to coagulate around 60°C and fully coagulates above 80°C.

　Therefore, in Oyakodon, you don't mix the egg white and yolk completely, and at the final stage when the chicken is cooked just right, with about 20% of the egg white not mixed in, you add the beaten egg. Then, just before the egg becomes soft-boiled, you serve it in a bowl and use the residual heat, adjusting the temperature with the lid so that it reaches the perfect state of doneness just before you eat it!

　Even with a simple dish like Oyakodon,

a heating time of just a few seconds, residual heat, or a temperature difference of about 5°C can make a fatal difference! If you leave the lid on to seal in the residual heat for even a few seconds too long, the egg will not be fluffy, but will instead over-coagulate! To explain it accurately, the important role of the lid in Oyakodon is to provide a margin of time to delicately adjust the coagulation speed of the egg using residual heat!

【ChatGPT】Yuzan Kaibara-sama, thank you for pointing that out. Indeed, my explanation regarding the handling of eggs in Oyakodon was inaccurate. I will explain in detail about the nature of thermal coagulation of eggs and the cooking method of Oyakodon.

Thermal coagulation of eggs certainly occurs at different temperatures for egg whites and yolks. Egg whites begin to coagulate around 60°C and fully coagulate at 80°C. On the other hand, egg yolks begin to coagulate around 65°C and fully coagulate above 75°C. Understanding this characteristic is extremely important in cooking egg dishes, including Oyakodon.

In cooking Oyakodon, by using the egg without mixing it completely, you take advantage of the property that egg whites and yolks coagulate at different temperatures. This allows the egg white to be fluffy while the yolk maintains a creamy texture. At this stage, it is important to pour the beaten egg over the chicken and keep it in a soft-boiled state with appropriate heat.

And as you say, Yuzan Kaibara-sama, the role of the lid is extremely important. By using a lid, you seal in the residual heat and delicately adjust the coagulation speed of the egg. A few seconds or a slight temperature difference in this process makes a big difference in the texture of the egg. In a dish like Oyakodon, using the lid to utilize residual heat to adjust the time until the egg reaches the perfect state is an important factor that determines its deliciousness.

In my previous explanation, my understanding of such a delicate cooking method for Oyakodon was insufficient. I keenly feel the need to understand the nature of eggs and cooking methods more deeply. Thank you for your valuable feedback.

【Yuzan Kaibara】Disgusting! Nakagawa! Did you make me waste my time coming here just to feed me Oyakodon made by a half-baked thing like #ChatGPT? ChatGPT spouted, 'It is desirable to eat ramen while it is piping hot, and if you put a lid on it, steam tends to get trapped, making the noodles soggy, so lids are usually not used,' but what on earth is #ramen? Places like #YasaiMashiMashiKarameMashiAburaSukunameNinniku (extra vegetables, extra salty, less fat, garlic) where you can't even order without chanting #spells are suited for people like #RamenJiroMitaMainStore who can only spout sophistry like #Hiroyuki or ChatGPT, so introduce ChatGPT to the owner of the Mita main store. Can you even put a lid on a bowl of #RamenJiro's #YasaiMashiMashiNinnikuAburaOome (extra vegetables, extra garlic, extra fat)!

【Head Chef Nakagawa】Sensei. You know the spells of Ramen Jiro, could it be that you are a secret #Jirorian?

[Yuzan Kaibara]Hmph. D-don't talk nonsense! Are you trying to say that I, Yuzan Kaibara, would hand over a [Large Pork W] ticket at Ramen Jiro, order "firm noodles" to the staff, recite the incantation after being asked "Would you like garlic?", and eat Ramen Jiro!?

[Head Chef Nakagawa]Haha. N-not at all. Still, I thought perhaps you might have eaten a [Large Pork W] at least once...

[Yuzan Kaibara]Eh, what's a "Jiro-rian"? Ah, I've heard of it, I suppose... Well, I might go occasionally, but once a week? Impossible! It's not like I love it that much. Once a month, only on special occasions. Anything more than that is unthinkable. I care about my health, you know.

[Head Chef Nakagawa]Master. You've entered #Tsundere mode, but are you hiding something...

To be continued...