Tamagoyaki Recipe
By Ed Smith
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Easy
Tamagoyaki is a Japanese rolled omelette. It’s a super little snack (whether warm or cold) with a dab of mayonnaise, a soy-sauce-based dipping sauce or even ketchup. That said, I like to make a meal of it over rice with a few additional flavours and textures.
You could prepare this in a circular pan, but the traditional and easiest utensil is a rectangular or square ‘makiyakinabe’. It’s a relatively inexpensive addition to a kitchen, and the process very therapeutic. For the dash of dashi, I make a batch from an instant powder (available at Asian supermarkets and online), storing the remainder in the fridge to use as a base for miso or noodle soup.
This recipe is extracted from Good Eggs by Ed Smith (Quadrille, £22), Photography by Sam A Harris
TRY: Check out Ed Smith's recipes for Savoury Eggs Bread & Menemen!
Ingredients for Tamagoyaki
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp instant dashi
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- Neutral oil, for cooking
- Kewpie mayonnaise, to serve
To assemble a rice bowl
- 90g (3 ¼ oz) cooked sushi rice
- 1–2 tbsp sushi ginger
- 1–2 tbsp wasabi peas or crisp
- edamame beans
- 1 tsp furikake and/or crisp seaweed
How to make Tamagoyaki
- Use chopsticks to beat together the eggs, dashi, mirin and soy sauce. Do this thoroughly, leaving just a few streaks of egg whites.
- Place an 18 x 13cm (7 x 5in) non-stick makiyakinabe pan (or frying pan/skillet) over a low heat. Add just a dribble of neutral oil, then wipe that around the pan with paper towel. Pour one-quarter of the egg mixture into the pan. Swirl the pan so that it is covered with a thin film of egg. Wait for the underside to set just firm enough to lift without breaking (with the top still a touch wet), then use a silicon spatula to release the edge at the end of the pan furthest from you, and roll it towards you in a thin cigar shape.
- Push the egg roll back to the top end of the pan. Pour in one-third of the remaining egg mixture, lifting the rolled egg a little so the wet egg passes underneath. Allow to set, then repeat the rolling process. It’s more forgiving from now on. Repeat the process two more times to use up all the egg mixture. Turn the rolled omelette onto a board and leave to cool for 3–4 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife into 2cm (.in) discs.
- Serve as a snack with mayonnaise or another dip. Or assemble a rice bowl, adding mayonnaise, pickled ginger, something crunchy such as wasabi peas or edamame beans, plus furikake and/or crisp seaweed.
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ALSO CONSIDER: Seasoning the egg mixture with nori flakes, finely chopped herbs or sauted spinach, chopped ham or finely diced fresh chilli.
About the author
Ed Smith, an award-winning food writer and former lawyer, now crafts recipes, consults, and writes after training as a chef. He's active on social media and has authored cookbooks like 'Crave,' awarded Cookery Book of the Year in 2022, 'On the Side,' 'Good Eggs' and 'The Borough Market Cookbook.' His work frequently appears in outlets such as Waitrose Food, BBC Good Food, and The Sunday Times Magazine.
