Tamago Japan Egg

[Zenia]

Because tamagoyaki is just layers of eggs, you can theoretically make it in a small frying pan (preferably nonstick), but a tamagoyaki pan will make this endeavor much easier. The small and rectangular pan makes the eggs easier to roll and will also create the signature rectangular shape.

Continue moving your roll back and forth across the pan across layers of eggs until you have run out of egg mixture. If the shape is not quite perfect when you have finished, wrap it in a clean cloth or sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a more convincing rectangle. Writing this out makes it seem quite complicated, so I recommend watching one of the many YouTube tutorials before you start.

There are many elegant egg dishes in Japanese cuisine, but dashimaki tamago (だし巻き卵), which translates to "dashi rolled egg", is a custardy omelette with a smile-inducing amount of flavor. As the name implies, dashimaki tamago contains almost as much umami-rich dashi stock as there is egg. This creates a magical suspension of savory soup within the egg released with each bite. Whether served as part of a traditional breakfast or packed into bento lunches, this classic dish is a delicious part of Japanese meals.

There are many styles of omelettes in Japan, including usuyaki tamago, atsuyaki tamago, datemaki, etc. These are all versions of tamagoyaki. Both basic tamagoyaki and Dashimaki tamago are rolled omelettes, but dashimaki tamago has a high ratio of dashi stock, which gives the egg a softer texture.

In Japan, it's thought that you can gauge the level of a high-end restaurant by the quality of their simplest dishes. Dashimaki Tamago makes for a great benchmark because the rolled omelette is not only ubiquitous, it takes skill and experience to make this elegant egg dish well.

While the basic recipe may sound simple, great dashimaki tamago is characterized by a high ratio of Japanese soup stock to egg, but this makes the omelette extremely delicate. Restaurants in Kyoto use an acrobatic cooking technique involving chopsticks and gravity and when I interned at a Kyoto restaurant a number of years ago it felt like trying to eat pudding with chopsticks.

As I destroyed roll after roll, I remember thinking, "Spatulas were invented for a reason!". But a look over my shoulder at the stern look on my master's face, along with the well-worn "encouragement stick" hanging on the wall, and I chose wisely not to question his cooking methods. While I eventually managed to roll one using chopsticks, I now use a spatula at home. With practice and patience, you can make this classic Japanese dish at home.

Next, break the eggs into a separate bowl. There's no need to remove the chalaza here, as the mixture will be strained later. Beat the eggs with chopsticks (you could also use a fork). It's important to mix the egg whites and yolks uniformly while incorporating as little air as possible. The best way to do this is to hold the chopsticks at a 90-degree angle to the bottom of the bowl and use a rapid side-to-side cutting motion. Avoid using a circular or whipping motion to avoid forcing air into the egg. I also avoid using a whisk for the same reason.

Once the eggs are beaten, pour them into the dashi mixture and stir thoroughly, trying to limit the formation of bubbles. Strain this egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any unmixed egg.

Heat a rectangular tamagoyaki pan over medium heat until it's hot (see instructions below for using a regular pan). Lightly grease the pan using an oil-soaked paper towel, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. The key here is to have a well-greased but not oily pan to prevent sticking and promote even cooking.

Pour enough egg mixture into the pan to coat the bottom without swirling. If any air bubbles form, use chopsticks to pop them. As the bottom layer sets, you'll notice it becoming more opaque. When it's mostly cooked through, use a spatula to separate the edges from the pan and start rolling it from the far end towards you. This technique ensures even cooking and forms the layers of egg in this rolled omelette. Once you reach the front edge, slide the roll to the back of the pan.

Grease the empty part of the pan again, then pour another layer of the egg mixture. Quickly lift the roll with chopsticks and tip the pan to get some fresh egg mixture under the omelette so it doesn't burn. Repeat this process, layering and rolling, until you've used up all the egg mixture.

When the dashimaki tamago is done, turn it out onto the center of a bamboo sushi mat with the bumpy side facing up. Roll one edge of the bamboo mat around the egg and cinch it up, applying gentle pressure to mold the tamagoyaki. This step helps shape the omelette and hides any imperfections from the rolling process. Let it rest for at least ten minutes to set.

Pour enough egg mixture into the pan to cover the bottom without swirling it. When the egg is no longer runny, use a spatula to fold the left and right sides of the omelette toward the center of the pan. Now roll the egg from the front of the pan towards the back and return the rolled egg to the front of the pan.

Dashimaki Tamagoyaki is commonly served as part of a traditional Japanese breakfast, along with grated daikon radish, a bowl of rice, pickles, grilled fish, and miso soup. It can also be packed into a bento box for lunch along with onigiri, and side dishes such as kinpira gobo, and sesame spinach. More recently, people have been stuffing these Japanese omelettes into sandwiches where the bread can hide minor mistakes.

I LOVE this! Wish I had seen it sooner. The story is great, and it makes me feel better about my attempt today. It was kind of a mess, though it tasted phenomenal. Especially with the honey mustard sauce for Adults! -tamago-sando-japanese-egg-sandwich/

It's tricky, even in a tamagoyaki pan because the mixture is so loose. I prefer not using starch in the dashimaki tamago when it's not going into a sandwich because it make the egg gush out dashi when you bite into it (in the sandwich version the dashi is better bound with the egg so it's not quite as juicy). The drawback of not using starch is that it's becomes even more difficult to work with.

I actually own the tamagoyakimaki. I love to make this dish for breakfast, but often skip the last step because I'm too hungry to remember to put it in the bamboo mat and shape it. LOL I've made it using spatula and using chopsticks. Spatula is much easier, but as long as I mix everything properly, I can sometimes do it with chopsticks. It is a technique that needs practicing for sure!

Your tamago cooking method and, of course, the recipe reminds my days when I was on technical training in Choshi Shi, Chibaken. Back home in Philippines, I'll do the morning with your tamago roll method instead of just plain omelet. Thanks for sharing.

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I really appreciate you having a video showing how to use this pan. I just came back from Tokyo, and I bought a copper, Kansai style small pan. You mention it is the best, but I do not see you using it. Also, you mention atsuyaki tamago, and that it is easier to make. However, there is no information on how to make it. It seems like it would be a good place to start with a new pan!

I have chickens, and I would love for you to provide many more egg based recipes. Also, one of the hotels I stayed at in Tokyo had the most amazingly healthy breakfast, It had the same basics, as you describe. in your traditional breakfast. Miso soup is a wonderful addition to breakfast! But it also had various steamed vegetables and pickles. I would like to be able to prepare some of these items in advance, and understand which can be prepared and stored in advance, and which are better made at breakfast time. Thank you for mentioning that the cooked omelettes can be frozen and defrosted!

This is an absolutely delicious reciper. The addition of the dashi and mirin is a real game-changer to me, had the lot eaten immediately! Plan next time is to make a lot at once and then try and overcome the urge to eat them so I can freeze some for later. Thanks for the amazing recipe!

Tamagoyaki is such a integral part of Japanese food that I am rather kicking myself for not having posted a recipe for it before here. The name tamagoyaki means "fried egg", and the alternate name, atsuyaki tamago, means "thick fried egg". (Some books or restaurants erroneously called it just tamago, which just means "egg".) A slightly sweet, moist square-shaped egg concoction, tamagoyaki is a bento box staple, as well as being a popular sushi neta (topping). It's also great as a side dish for any meal.

You don't really need a special tamagoyaki pan for making this. A regular small non-stick frying pan will do. The one advantage of having a small tamagoyaki pan like this one is that the size is good for making small, thick tamagoyaki without using extra eggs. Conversely, a big square tamagoyaki/atsuyaki tamago pan is used for making those thick tamagoyaki served at better sushi restaurants. (Cheap sushi places use manufactured tamagoyaki, which is an abomination.) However, I'm assuming most people are likely to own a small frying pan, so that's what I've used for the photos here. The one I have is an ordinary (pretty cheap) Tefal model that I got at a sale somewhere.

Once you get the hang of making the multilayers of egg, it's very easy to do. A 2-egg tamagoyaki takes less than 5 minutes to cook, and a 4-egg one just a bit more. 4 eggs is the maximum that's practical to cook in a 20cm / 8 inch standard frying pan.

Brush the heated pan with a little oil. Put in about 2 to 3 tablespoons worth of egg mixture in the pan. Cook gently (lower the heat if necessary) until it's not quite set on top, but not runny. Roll it up with a fork or chopsticks to one side of the pan.

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