First, let's prepare the ingredients used to bulk up the dish.
Take the eggs out of the fridge and lightly tap the blunter end against the counter to crack the shell. Place the eggs in a small pot and add enough water to submerge them halfway. Cover the pot and bring it to a rolling boil; let it cook for 5 minutes.
Next, quickly add the konjac—torn into bite-sized pieces with a spoon—into the pot. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain the hot water, then peel the eggs while rinsing them in water.
If you start peeling from the cracked area, the shell will slide right off—it’s incredibly satisfying!
That covers 70% of the cooking process.
I might have gone into a bit too much detail (haha), but this method is truly handy.
Not only does it make the tedious task of peeling eggs take just seconds, but it also finishes parboiling the konjac at the same time.
Now, let's prepare the main ingredients.
For the chicken drumettes (which take longer to cook), place them skin-side down and make two incisions along the bone. Using kitchen shears makes this easy!
Cut the onion and carrot into bite-sized pieces, and thinly slice the garlic.
And with that, the prep work is done!
Add water, sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and a bay leaf to the pot.
Then, toss in the chicken drumettes, onion, carrot, konjac, and boiled eggs all at once!
Using a pot with a tight-fitting lid will result in even more tender, fall-off-the-bone meat.
We are now 95% of the way through the process.
All that's left is to cover the pot and let it simmer.
Be sure to stir it a few times during cooking to prevent burning or uneven heating. The key here is to stir gently with a large rubber spatula so you don't break the boiled eggs.
Once the chicken is cooked through, it's ready to serve!
