Usuyaki tamago, or “thin cooked egg”, is a very thin egg crepe. You can use usuyaki tamago to wrap sushi rice, like hamaguri zushi or chakin zushi. Or try it for omurice, a combination of omelette and fried rice! You may want to add some cornstarch to the mix if using it as a wrapper though.
Another use for usuyaki tamago is to cut it into very thin strips. Then you have kinshi tamago, meaning “golden thread egg”. Kinshi tamago is a festive egg topping that can be served over rice, like temarizushi and chirashizushi. You could even use it as a garnish for a noodle dish, like soba or udon.
Both usuyaki and kinshi tamago are common ingredients in celebratory recipes. For example, Hina Matsuri is a day for families to celebrate their daughters, and wish them success and happiness in the future. Many families celebrate by making sushi dishes such as temari, chirashi, hamaguri or chakin zushi. It’s also customary to display traditional dolls called hina ningyo. Also known as Doll Festival, Girls’ Day or Peach Festival (Momo no Sekku), Hina Matsuri is celebrated on March 3rd.
Usuyaki Tamago and Kinshi Tamago
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp sake
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- 「PREP」In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the sugar, sake and salt and mix well.
- Heat up a frying pan, and add a bit of oil. Lower the heat to medium-low and pour in just enough egg batter to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Carefully flip the egg crepe with a spatula, or try this nifty trick!Slip a cooking chopstick under the egg at an imaginary line between the lower third and upper two thirds of the circle. Roll it continuously between your fingers as you move the chopstick across to the other side of the egg. Then lift and flip! It doesn’t break!Repeat, adding oil as needed; this recipe should make about 4-6 egg crepes. Make sure not to overcook! They need to be soft and a little moist, not dry or crispy.If you’re making usuyaki tamago, you’re done!
- For kinshi tamago, pile up the egg crepes, roll them tightly and julienne. Et voilà!
Did you make this recipe?
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