Sweet Egg Nigiri (Tamago) with Nori Bands

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Layer after layer of sweet, dashi-scented egg rolled up in an ordinary nonstick skillet — no square tamagoyaki pan required. The finished block gets pressed under a folded towel so it squares off, then sliced into thick slabs and banded to warm-hand-pressed sushi rice with a strip of nori. It's the quiet, custardy piece that sushi chefs are secretly judged on, and it's very doable on a Tuesday.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Japanese short-grain sushi rice
• 1 1/4 cups cold water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons dashi (from instant dashi powder or kombu-bonito stock), cooled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

• 1 sheet toasted nori
• wasabi, for serving (optional)
• soy sauce, for serving

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice: put it in a bowl, cover with cold water, swish with your fingers for 20 seconds, and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat 3–4 times until the water runs nearly clear, then drain in a sieve for 10 minutes.
2. Cook the rice with the 1 1/4 cups cold water in a small saucepan: bring to a boil over medium-high, cover, reduce to the lowest heat, and cook 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes more. (Or use a rice cooker on the white-rice setting.)
3. Meanwhile, warm the 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in the microwave for 20 seconds, stirring until dissolved. Scrape the hot rice into a wide bowl, pour the seasoning over, and fold with a spatula using slicing motions — never stir or mash — until glossy. Cover with a damp towel and hold at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
4. Make the egg mixture: whisk the eggs in a bowl just until the yolks and whites are uniform, avoiding a lot of foam. Whisk in the dashi, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until the sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup with a spout — this is what gives tamago its smooth, dense texture.
5. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low. Fold a paper towel into a pad, dip it in the neutral oil, and wipe the pan with a thin film. The pan is ready when a drop of egg sets in about 3 seconds without browning or sizzling hard.
6. Pour in just enough egg to coat the pan in a thin layer, about 1/4 cup, tilting to spread it. When the surface is set but still glossy-wet on top, about 45–60 seconds, use a silicone spatula (or chopsticks) to fold the far edge of the omelet toward you by about 1 inch, then keep rolling it toward you into a loose log. Slide the roll to the edge of the pan nearest you.
7. Re-oil the empty part of the pan, pour in another 1/4 cup of egg, and tilt so it flows under the existing roll — lift the roll slightly with your spatula so the new egg bonds to it. When the new layer is just set, roll the log back over it toward the far side of the pan.
8. Repeat, alternating direction, until all the egg is used — you should get 5 or 6 layers over about 12–15 minutes. Keep the heat at medium-low the entire time; if the egg browns or puffs, pull the pan off the burner for 30 seconds. The finished block should be pale yellow with no browning.
9. Turn the block onto a sheet of plastic wrap or a bamboo sushi mat, wrap or roll it snugly, and press gently to square the sides. Let it rest 10 minutes, then unwrap. It should be a firm rectangle about 1 1/4 inches thick.
10. Trim the ragged ends (cook's snack) and cut the block crosswise into 8 slices, each about 1/2 inch thick and roughly 2 inches long. With a sharp knife, cut the nori sheet into 8 strips about 1/2 inch wide and 5 inches long.
11. Stir the 1/2 cup water with 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl for dipping your hands. Moisten your palms lightly, scoop about 2 tablespoons (20 g) of rice, and gently press it into an oval about 2 inches long and 3/4 inch tall — firm enough to hold, loose enough to fall apart in the mouth. Repeat to make 8.
12. Set a slice of tamago on each rice oval. Wrap a nori strip over the egg and around the bottom of the rice, pressing the overlapping end against the damp rice to seal — moisten the tip with a dab of tezu if it won't stick. Serve within 30 minutes at cool room temperature, with soy sauce and a little wasabi if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem