-
1
Taste the remaining nabe broth carefully. If it is intensely concentrated — a condition common after a long evening's cooking — dilute with water until the seasoning is pleasantly savoury but not overpowering. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
-
2
Add the cooked rice in small amounts, stirring after each addition, allowing it to absorb the broth before adding more. This is where the dish lives or dies: add too much rice at once and the broth disappears before the grains have absorbed its accumulated flavour; the porridge becomes stodgy rather than enriched. For zosui, simmer briefly — 3 to 5 minutes — so the grains soften yet retain some individual structure. For ojiya, continue simmering 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starch releases into the broth and the consistency turns noticeably creamier. The correct stage is visible: zosui grains hold their shape in a loose, brothy surround; ojiya grains blur at the edges, the liquid opaque with released starch.
-
3
In the final 60 seconds of cooking, pour the beaten egg in a thin, steady stream around the surface of the porridge. Stir once in a slow wide circle to draw the egg into silky, just-set ribbons. Remove from heat immediately; the residual heat finishes the egg. The surface should appear glossy and the texture silky rather than scrambled.
-
4
Ladle into warmed bowls. Finish with sliced negi and torn nori. Serve at once — the porridge continues to thicken as it sits.