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Japan, Asia · Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette)

Kyoto-Style Dashimaki Tamago

Kansai's rolled omelette: plenty of homemade kombu and bonito dashi in the egg, rolled fast over brisk heat so it oozes stock when you slice it.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time28 min
Soaking the kombu+ 30 min
DifficultyHard

Method

  1. Wipe the kombu lightly with a damp cloth (leave the white powder; it is flavour) and soak it in the water for 30 minutes.

    Add in this stepWater (for the stock) 400 mlKombu (dried kelp) 5 g

  2. Put the kombu and its water in a 16 cm pot and heat slowly over medium-low heat for . When small bubbles appear around the edge, just before boiling, lift out the kombu. Once it comes to a boil, add the bonito flakes, turn off the heat immediately and let it steep for . Strain through a sieve lined with paper towel without squeezing, and let it cool completely; warm dashi would start cooking the egg.

    Add in this stepBonito flakes (katsuobushi) 10 g

    medium-low heat

  3. Beat the eggs with chopsticks, cutting through the whites, then mix in the cooled dashi, light soy sauce, mirin and salt. Pass it through a fine sieve once for a silky texture.

    Add in this stepEggs 3Homemade dashi (cooled) 60 mlLight soy sauce (usukuchi) ¾ tspMirin 1 tspSalt 1 pinch

  4. Heat a tamagoyaki pan (about 13×18 cm) over medium-high heat for and wipe it generously, corners included, with a well-oiled paper towel. A drop of egg should sizzle and puff up straight away. This amount makes 1 roll(s); for two rolls, split the mixture in half.

    Add in this stepCooking oil 2 tsp

    medium-high heat

  5. Pour in about a quarter of the mixture for one roll, tilt to spread it and pop any bubbles with chopsticks. Cook over medium-high heat for ; while the top is still half-set and creamy, roll it from the far side towards you. The mixture is loose and delicate, so use chopsticks and a spatula together. If the first layer tears, it simply becomes the core.

    medium-high heat

  6. Push the roll to the far end, oil the empty part and under the roll, pour in more mixture and lift the roll so it runs underneath. Cook over medium-high heat for and roll again while it is still half-set. Repeat 4 more times. If the egg browns or bubbles violently, lift the pan off the heat for a moment; dashimaki should stay pale yellow.

    medium-high heat

  7. Roll it firmly in a bamboo mat to shape it and leave it standing for . The juicy dashi settles inside and the layers set. If you are making a second roll, cook it the same way meanwhile.

  8. Slice 2.5 cm thick and serve with grated daikon and a few drops of light soy sauce. Press a slice gently with chopsticks: if stock seeps out, you nailed it.

    Add in this stepDaikon radish (to serve) 60 gLight soy sauce for the daikon to taste

Cook's tip

Speed and brisk heat are the secret; cooking slowly on low heat squeezes the dashi out and makes it rubbery. Use leftover dashi for miso soup or udon broth. For your first try, use three quarters of the dashi listed; it rolls much more easily.

Cooking it at camp

Make and cool the dashi at home and carry it bottled in the cooler, so at camp you only mix and cook. Burner heat is uneven, so control the temperature by lifting the pan on and off the flame. Foil can stand in for the bamboo mat.