Tamagoyaki 玉子烧

I was convinced by CC#1 to invest in a Tomagoyaki pan. Not just any old single used pan but a large cast iron square pan made in Japan, with no inside screw caps and a slanted front to facilitate better folding action and even browning of the omelet. And I love it.

I have come to realize more than more that I am picky about my eggs. I like fried eggs (Spanish kind fried crispy in a pool of oil with runny center). I like very soft egg custard Japanese style with high water ratio. And I really love Tomagoyaki seasoned with just the right balance of savory and sweet and laced with seafood and greens.

Most Tomagoyaki recipes I tried before are very sweet, usually including both mirin and a couple of tablespoons to sugar. Tasting them in Japan opened my eyes to all kinds of flavoring, including mostly savory with only a hint of sweetness, which I like very much. My latest iteration below is an adaptation from this recipe, with a slight increase in fluids, Beware not to add too much fluids—CC#1 had a recent mishap ending with her Tamago scrambled.

Six eggs makes about 2 large rolls with cooked shrimp and chives. Recipe can be halved.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs

• 1/2 tsp Diamond Kosher Salt (can be salty if not careful here)

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 75g dashi stock or chicken stock

• Optional: Sautéed or lightly grilled shrimp and scallops, roasted salmon, chopped chives or cooked broccoli

Instructions:

• Beat eggs with all ingredients, add chopped seafood and greens at the end

• Season Tamago pan with oil, wipe excess off with paper towel, and heat over medium heat

• Use a full soup ladle of egg mixture to start the first layer of the omelet, about 1/2 ladle full for the remaining layers, and leave a small amount of eggs (without seafood chunks) for the finishing layer (watch the video in the linked recipe on Youtube for specific steps)

• Wrap cooked Tamago in sushi mat to shape until cooled