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This Japanese omelette very easy to make. So it’s no wonder tamagoyaki has found its way into schools, bentos, restaurants and even street food stalls in Japan.
Japanese omelette
Japanese omelette differs from Western omelettes in both its shape and its ingredients. Tamagoyaki is flavoured with dashi, mirin, sugar and soy sauce. In addition, it is cooked in layers in a rectangular-shaped pan, giving it its characteristic shape. The dish is so popular in Japan that it has found its way onto the menus of schools, bentos, sushi restaurants and even street food stalls.
Types of tamagoyaki
In Japan, there are two popular varieties of tamagoyaki. The atsuyaki tamago and the dashimaki tamago that I am sharing with you today. The main difference between the two is that dashimaki, as the name suggests, contains dashi. Thanks to dashi, the texture of tamagoyaki is more refined, silky and juicy. However, depending on the amount of dashi used, preparing the omelette can be quite complicated. But don’t worry, the recipe I’m sharing with you is very easy and ideal to start making tamagoyaki. And over time, if you’re up for it, you can increase the amount of dashi until the volume of dashi equals the volume of eggs.
Tamagoyaki, step by step
Preparing tamagoyaki is very easy. Start by beating the eggs well so that the egg yolks and whites are well blended. Then add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and, optionally, sugar (see below). Once these are well incorporated, heat the frying pan (ideally a rectangular pan). With the help of a paper towel soaked in oil, spread a thin layer of vegetable oil all over the pan to prevent the omelette from sticking. Add some of the egg mixture to create a thin layer of egg (as if you wanted to make a crêpe). As soon as it solidifies underneath, start to roll it up to give it its characteristic Tamagoyaki shape (as you can see in the video-recipe). Next, it is time to add the second layer. To do this, first add a little oil to the frying pan (using kitchen paper) and add the egg again, making a thin layer. This time, we will lift the omelette slightly so that the egg we have just added can pass under the omelette and, when cooked, act as “glue” between them. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times and that’s it. Optionally, you can transfer the omelette to a makisu for a couple of minutes to help give it the characteristic Tamagoyaki shape.
Tamagoyaki pan
If you go to a kitchen in Japan, you will for sure find a non-stick rectangular frying pan. Those will allow you to achieve the typical shape of this rolled omelette. However, they are not essential. If you don’t have one, prepare it in any non-stick frying pan you have at home. Note that if the pan is round, you won’t get the traditional tamagoyaki shape, but it will be just as good!
Recipe
How to make Tamagoyaki
EQUIPO
VIDEO
INSTRUCCIONES
- Beat the eggs until the yolk and white are combined.
- Heat the tamagoyaki pan.
- When it is hot, spread a very thin layer of oil with the help of a kitchen paper .
- Add a fifth of the egg mixture to create a thin layer of egg (similar to making crêpe).
- As soon as the bottom part is cooked, start rolling it to give it the characteristic tamagoyaki shape.
- Now it is time to add the second layer. To make sure it doesn't stick, you can add another thin layer of oil with the kitchen paper.
- Add another fifth of the egg. To join this new layer with the previous one, lift the omelette slightly so that the egg that we have just added spreds underneath the omelette. This will make the new layer stick to the previous one as it cooks.
- Repeat this process until you finish all the egg.
- Optionally, you can transfer the omelette to a makisu for a couple of minutes to help give it the characteristic tamagoyaki shape.
