Foryoueats: Chicken Donburi (Japanese Rice Bowl) With Spinach Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) canola or other neutral cooking oil
• 9 medium cloves garlic, 8 halved (larger cloves can be cut into thirds) and 1 minced, divided
• One 10-ounce (280g) bunch spinach, thoroughly washed and spun dry
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1ml) mayonnaise (optional)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) sake
• 1/4 cup (60ml) dashi, either instant or homemade (see note)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) mirin
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, stirred into 1 tablespoon (15ml) water to make a slurry
• 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter
• To Serve :
• 6 cups cooked, short-grain Japanese rice (see note)
• Kizami nori (optional; see note)
• 4 egg yolks (optional)
• 2 scallions (1 1/2 ounces; 40g), sliced thinly
• Kizami beni shoga (pickled ginger strips) (optional; see note)