The key to this simple recipe for a “tamagoyaki” (Japanese omelet ) is hanpen, a triangular fish cake made of “surimi” pulverized fish.
Yoko Munakata of the Better Home Association says it is easier than a traditional rolled omelet to master. “Just mix the ingredients and pour into a pan and you get a fluffy dish. It may suit novice cooks better than the traditional rolled omelet,” she says. A 22-cm diameter frying pan will give you an omelet that is 1-cm thick.
Try different flavors by replacing the sugar with green onion and serving with grated daikon radish or grated cheese mixed with stir-fried bell pepper. Serves two.
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs 1/2 (50 grams)
hanpen
Seasoning (2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp sweet mirin sake, 2 Tsbsp milk, 1/8 tsp salt)
Cooking oil
METHOD
Beat egg in a bowl until smooth. Add seasoning and mix well.
Mash hanpen with fork. Add it to the egg mixture and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
Strain through a fine sieve using a spatula or the back of spoon. Mix with whisk again until fluffy.
Spread some oil on a non-stick frying pan with a paper towel and place over a low heat. (Check whether the pan is hot by drawing a line with a chopstick dipped in egg mixture. The line should turn white and dry right away.)
Pour in the entire mixture, place the lid on and cook for 7-8 minutes over a very low heat. Turn sides when edge and surface are dry and when bottom has turned golden.
Replace the lid and cook for two more minutes. Remove from pan, cool and cut into pieces
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From the vernacular Asahi Shimbun's KashikoiOkazu column
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