Recipe
Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet)
Tamagoyaki is made by cooking thin layers of seasoned egg and rolling them up one after another. It slices into neat yellow pinwheels that brighten any bento, and it's fully cooked, so it's safe to pack.
Pan and technique
A rectangular tamagoyaki pan makes the neatest roll, but a small 8-inch nonstick skillet works too: just roll the egg into a log and trim the rounded ends (the cook's snack). Keep the heat at medium. Too hot and the egg browns and blisters; too low and it won't set before you roll.
Sweet or savory?
This version is lightly sweet, as tamagoyaki usually is in bento in the Kanto (Tokyo) area. For a savory Kansai-style omelet (called dashimaki), leave out the sugar and add 3 tablespoons of dashi stock; it's softer and juicier, but a little harder to roll.
Shaping tip
Right after cooking, wrap the hot roll in a bamboo sushi mat or plastic wrap and leave it for 5 minutes. It firms up into a tidy rectangle and slices cleanly.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- Pinch of salt
- Neutral oil for the pan
Steps
- Beat the eggs with the sugar, mirin, soy sauce and salt until smooth, without whipping in too much air. Strain for an extra-smooth texture (optional).
- Heat the pan over medium heat and wipe it with a paper towel dipped in oil.
- Pour in about a quarter of the egg and tilt to cover the pan thinly. Pop any big bubbles with chopsticks.
- When the egg is mostly set but still slightly wet on top, roll it from the far end toward you into a log.
- Push the log back to the far end, oil the empty part of the pan, and pour in another quarter of the egg, lifting the log so the new egg runs underneath it.
- When the new layer is nearly set, roll the log back toward you, wrapping it in the new layer. Repeat until all the egg is used.
- Cook the finished roll for 30 seconds on each side so it's fully set. Wrap in a bamboo mat or plastic wrap for 5 minutes, then cool and slice into 6–8 pieces.