← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• ¼ tsp Soy sauce
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 tsp neutral oil, for the pan

Method

1. Beat the eggs with the sugar, mirin, soy sauce and salt using chopsticks, cutting through the whites rather than whisking in air. Strain through a sieve for an extra-smooth finish.
2. Heat a tamagoyaki pan or small non-stick frying pan over medium heat and wipe it with an oiled piece of kitchen paper. Pour in a thin layer of egg, tilting the pan to cover the base, and pop any big bubbles.
3. When the egg is set underneath but still a little wet on top, roll it up from the far side towards you with chopsticks or a spatula.
4. Push the roll back to the far side, oil the empty part of the pan again, and pour in another thin layer, lifting the roll so egg runs underneath it. When it has set, roll it back towards you around the first roll.
5. Repeat until all the egg is used, keeping the heat medium-low so the outside stays yellow, not brown. Tip it onto a bamboo mat or paper towel, wrap firmly to shape it and rest for 5 min, then slice.

Tips

• Sugar makes the egg brown quickly; if it colours too fast, lower the heat.
• For savoury dashimaki tamago, add 3 tbsp dashi and use less sugar (this makes it not vegetarian if the dashi is made with bonito).

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Japanese Cooking 101 Just One Cookbook