Tamagoyaki Time!

Wow! It's been quite a while since I posted anything on this blog...I didn't realize how dedicated that I had to be! Well, that is going to change! 

Anyway, I wanted to make a post dedicated to tamagoyaki (tamago-egg, yaki-grill) which is a Japanese omelet made by rolling cooked egg in layers. It's fun to make and delicious!!! 

 The first tamagoyaki recipe that I used was in an amazing cookbook titled the Just Bento Cookbook by Makiko Itoh and I still use it to this day! This book is a must have for anyone willing to try making bentos or that just want to make simple lunches that are fun and easy to make! You can purchase this book on Amazon here. 

Okay, this is what you will need to make tamagoyaki:

•4 large eggs
•1 Tbs. sugar 
•1 tsp. mirin
•1/4 tsp. salt
•1/2 tsp. light soy sauce
•Oil for cooking
•Non-stick frying pan (one with a flat bottom)
•Pair of cooking chopsticks
•Wad of kitchen paper
•Sushi rolling mat

First, you need to crack all of the eggs into a bowl and remove the germinal discs (not pictured). Then add in the sugar, mirin, salt, and soy sauce to the egg and stir with chopsticks. Make sure that when you are stirring, you keep the chopsticks on the bottom of the bowl to prevent the mixture from becoming frothy! 

Next, turn the heat on medium low and either spray or add the oil to the pan and lightly rub it with the kitchen towel to reduce it. 

To check to see if the pan is hot enough, dip the chopsticks into the egg mixture and gently slide them across the bottom of the pan. If it is hot enough, the egg mixture will cook instantly!

Then, add in just a little bit of the egg mixture into the pan and allow it to cook. Keep a close eye on it and make sure to pop any bubbles with your chopsticks and continuously check the edges to make sure that the mixture isn't sticking to the pan. After it is cooked enough, gently, very gently use the chopsticks to roll the egg mixture from one side of the pan to the other.

Now, add in a little bit more of the egg mixture and gently lift up the already rolled egg to make sure that the newly added egg mixture goes directly beneath it. Allow it to cook and once again check for bubbles or sticking.

Once again roll the egg mixture to the other side of the pan. I almost forgot to mention that after rolling it a few times, you might have to add a little more oil depending on the pan. If more oil is needed, be sure to use the wadded up kitchen towel to absorb some of it before adding more of the mixture. Repeat these steps until all of the egg mixture is gone! We are almost done! ^-^

After all of the egg mixture has been cooked and rolled, it should look similar to the picture above (If it doesn't, don't worry! The next stop will fix it).

Now carefully roll the tamagoyaki onto a kitchen towel and dab it in order to get rid of excess oil and then wrap it up in the sushi mat and let it sit for a few minutes.

Optional: while you are waiting you can grate some daikon radish for yummy topping that really gives you that umami taste! (umami-pleasant, savory taste) (Not pictured)

Then, you take a sharp knife and cut it into half inch pieces and place them onto a plate and...

It's done!!! ^-^

Kyle approves!!! I have almost completely converted him into eating Japanese food. A year ago, he refused to try anything new, but now he begs me to make him miso soup and tamagoyaki almost on a daily basis!

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I also wanted to mention that you could add vegetables such as spinach or broccoli, but you should lessen the amount of sugar! Be creative!!! ^-^