Tamago Sando (Japanese Omelette Sandwich)
I ate this on the streets of Osaka before boarding the bullet train to the airport. It came neatly packaged in a little red box, in typical Japanese style. I couldn’t understand how the egg was still so soft and fluffy yet set. The concept seems so simple – an egg sandwich – but as is the Japanese way, this is simple done exceptionally well.
Serves one to two
3 medium eggs
3 tbsp dashi stock
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp neutral oil
1 tbsp butter, softened
2 slices of white bread (crusts removed for the authentic look!)
1 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
1 tbsp katsuobushi flakes (optional)
1 tsp furikake flakes (optional)
1 To make the seasoning sauce, combine the dashi stock, sea salt, sugar, soy sauce and mirin and stir ‘til the sugar dissolves. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and add the sauce.
2 Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Spread the oil around the pan using a piece of paper towel to create a thin layer. Add a quarter of the egg mixture to the pan and allow it to cook for 1 minute.
The underside will be set but the top may still be wet – this is OK. Fold the omelette in half and move it to one side of the pan. Use the oily paper towel to add more oil to the pan, then add another quarter of the eggs to the pan, below the first omelette. Repeat the process – cooking for 1 minute and folding in half, incorporating the original omelette. Repeat with the rest of the egg mixture. The result should be a soft, just set omelette incorporating all the egg mixture.
3 Butter both slices of the bread and turn them over so they are butter side down. Add the mayonnaise and the omelette (plus the katsuobushi and furikake flakes, if using) to one of the slices of bread and top with the other.
4 Place the sandwich back in the pan, butter side down, and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the bread is just golden brown. Repeat on the other side, pressing down gently with a spatula. Serve immediately.