Cut-open omurice

Make and mound the ketchup rice

Cook the onion in oil over moderate heat for 4–5 minutes. Add peas and rice and stir-fry until steaming hot throughout. Mix in the ketchup and soy sauce. Mound the rice on a warm plate and smooth it into a low oval dome. Cover it to keep it hot.

Look for: A smooth, hot dome of rice in the centre of the plate.

Beat the eggs

Beat the eggs with the salt until fully combined. Wipe the pan clean.

Look for: The mixture is an even yellow with no streaks of white.

Test the heat, then pour

Melt the butter in a 20 cm nonstick pan over low-to-moderate heat. Drop in a little egg. If it sets quickly but stays pale, pour in the rest. If it browns, take the pan off the heat for a few seconds first.

Look for: A test drop sets at the edges within a couple of seconds without browning.

Stir to a loose custard

Stir fast in small circles with chopsticks while you shake the pan back and forth. Stop after about 30–60 seconds, while the egg is still wet and glossy. It keeps cooking through the next steps.

Look for: Soft curds hold together but the whole mass still wobbles like custard.

Fold it into a dumpling

Tilt the pan so the egg gathers against the far side. With a silicone spatula, push the loose edges in towards the centre. Fold the upper edge down over the soft middle to make a half-moon, like a dumpling.

Look for: A half-moon with the soft centre tucked inside and no raw egg leaking out.

Roll and seal the seam

Tilt the pan back towards you. Tap the handle near the pan a few times to loosen the omelette, then roll it over with the spatula so the seam is underneath. Leave it for about 2 seconds so the seam seals, and tidy the ends with the spatula.

Look for: An oval with tapered ends and a closed seam underneath.

Slide it onto the rice

Slide the omelette to the lip of the pan. Hold the pan just above the plate, tilt it, and let the omelette slide off without turning over, so it lands seam-side down along the top of the rice. Work while the centre is still soft.

Look for: The oval sits seam-side down along the top of the rice, still intact.

Slice it open

Run a sharp knife lengthwise along the top, tip to tip, cutting through the outer skin only. Ease the sides open so the centre unfolds over the rice. Finish with ketchup or demi-glace.

Safety: For this soft-centred preparation, use pasteurised eggs if available. Firm whites and yolks carry the lowest risk. Children, pregnant people, older adults and people with weakened immunity should choose the fully cooked option unless local guidance says otherwise. Colour and texture do not prove that an egg is safe. Reheat the rice until steaming throughout and serve at once.

Look for: The sides fall open and the soft centre spreads over the rice.