Tamagoyaki

Tamagoyaki is a traditional Japanese omelet. Learn this interesting, totally doable technique to make these neat omelet medallions, great tasting and pleasing to your eyes.

Blog's Category: Hors D'oeuvre, International, Perfect Breakfast, Vegetarian



Intro

I adore Japanese cuisine, delicate, neat, meticulous. I have pretty extensive arsenal of Japanese dishes and this is one of them which I lo-o-o-ve and come back to this egg dish over and over.

Tamagoyaki is great as a breakfast, intriguing hors d'oeuvre for your next part, and healthy, filling snack sitting, handy, in your refrigerator.

Technique, to make tamagoyaki, may seem a bit complicated but don't be afraid. In fact, it's fun, easy and quick. Ready? 


What is it?

- Mixture to make tamagoyaki consists of a few eggs mixed with very finely chopped carrots, onion, scallion and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then goes the fun part - cooking tamagoyaki omelet in, as I call it, indefinite fashion - continuously adding egg mixture to the one side of skillet while rolling the omelet on the opposite side of a skillet. Sounds intimidating? Commmonn.. it's rather entertaining!

Taste Description

I was a bit reluctant to allow tamagoyaki being allowed to cool down completely before serving. Surprisingly, cold tamagoyaki tasted still amazing. First of all, you'll be impressed how moist and flavorful they are. Paired with the oriental style tomato dipping sauce, they are knock-out appetizer you will love.

How to Serve

I think the best way to serve them warm or at room temperature, with a dipping sauce. I suggest oriental style sauce (see recipe below).

Tamagoyaki

For about 12-16 slices (2 rolls):

• 6 eggs
• 2 tbs very finely chopped carrots (finer-better but do not use processor - we don't want any juice come out of carrots)
• 2 tbs very finely chopped sweet or regular yellow onion (optional)
• 2 tbs thinly sliced green onion
• 2 tbs milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• some cooking vegetable oil

 Oriental Tomato Dipping sauce

• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 2 tbs shoyu (or soy sauce)
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs sriracha sauce (or any other spicy chili sauce)
• 1 tbs olive oil

- Chop finely carrots, onion and green onion.

- Beat eggs with whisk just until whites and yolks are well combined. Add chopped vegetables, milk, salt and pepper. Stir well.

- You can make one large tamagoyaki roll or two smaller ones. If cooking two rolls, divide egg mixture between two cups/bowls with an easy-to-pour spout.

- Using 10-12" non-stick skillet, cook tamagoyaki. Preheat skillet, turn heat low and add about 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Pour about 1/2 cup of tamagoyaki mixture, right from a bowl, onto one half of your pan, let is set for a couple of second, then tilting and shaking the pan, distribute the mixture to cover all pan. Keep heat low all the time. Let omelet cook for a minute or two just until eggs are set then start rolling. (Refer to the pictures below as nothing as descriptive as pictures, right?)

- Shake a pan slightly to loosen the omelet. Using two forks, roll omelet just until the center of a pan, then carefully move half-rolled omelet back, to the edge of a pan to make room for the next batch of mixture. Thus, make indefinite omelet by rolling/shifting/pouring until all mixture is used up.

- Cook tamagoyaki roll turning over on all sides for additional 3-5 minutes.

- Carefully slide roll from the skillet onto a wooden board. Let it cool down without disturbing for a bout 20 minutes before slicing.

- With a sharp thin knife slice roll into 1 " pieces.

- Make dipping sauce mixing sauce ingredients with a whisk until well incorporated.

- Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold, with dipping sauce, crostini. Some decorating options are below, in pictures. Enjoy!

Notes

- To chop carrots finely, I julienne carrots first using mandolin and then chop with knife as fine as I can. Also mincing technique can be use here like if you would mince garlic. If carrot pieces will be bigger than let's say 2mm x 2 mm than they will tear the omelet and it won't roll up neatly (nevertheless, it's not the end of the world :) , just do it!)

- Do not use too much oil for cooking tamagoyaki - about 1 teaspoon initially and then adding by drops as needed, during the cooking.
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IN PICTURES

There is a choice making one large fat tamagoyaki roll or two smaller ones. If making two smaller tamagoyaki, divide the mixture between two large cups with pouring spout.

1 teaspoon of cooking oil will be enough to start. Add oil later, by drops, as needed. Skillet should be kept relatively dry during cooking tamagoyaki.

Pour egg mixture on about half of skillet and then, tilting and shaking skillet distribute this mixture to cover all skillet in a thin layer.

Keep skillet on a low heat all the time. Start to roll when first layer set up. Traditionally, chopsticks are used to roll tamagoyaki but, despite my expertise in eating with chopsticks, I didn't have much luck using it as tool for tamagoyaki. I've found that two forks were much more handy here :)

Keeping heat low, will allow you to enjoy the process and not to worry about burning stuff..

Roll to the middle of skillet, then carefully move half-rolled omelet to the edge to make room for the "extension".

Pour a little bit more egg mixture (don't forget to shake and tilt skillet to distribute it evenly).

Let it sit a bit to firm and start rolling again

Continue to roll/pour until all mixture is used.

When all mixture is used, cook your tamagoyaki additionally, turning it on all sides forming the shape of your tamagoyaki. I flipped it just on two sides and ended up with somewhat rectangular shape of sliced tamagoyaki. To have more round shape, try to turn tamagoyaki gradually to brown it up a little bit.

Slide tamagoyaki carefully from the skillet onto wooden board and leave it alone for about 20-30 minutes to cool down.

With a sharp thin knife slice each roll into 1" pieces. It can be served as is, at this point, or, to form heart-shaped tamagoyaki, slice each piece diagonally, then flip one half over and piece halves together to make hearts. Cute..isn't it?

..now flip one half over.. and voila heart.. it is

it's easy sauce to make...

use whisk to combine sauce ingredients

If serving party, these onion decoration will look fantastic over your beautiful tamagoyaki hearts.

To make onion feathers, using tip of your sharpest pairing knife, slice white part of green onion in half, then continue to slice each piece until they become thin and feathery.

To decorate plates with green peppercorn powder, toast them a little bit or without toasting, ground pepper into fine powder.

My tamagoyaki were cooked for "internal" consuming but just for fun I made a plate decorated  with toasted baguette slices, oriental sauce, onion and green peppercorn powder.

Interestingly, on a picture, tamagoyaki doesn't look juicy while in real life they were so-o-o moist and flavorful..