Datemaki Egg Roll for New Year

[helenjp]

Datemaki Egg Roll for New Year

Serves 8 as Hors d'oeuvre.

This spongy egg roll with the distinctive crimped edges is found on many Japanese New Year tables. It is thickened with surimi fish paste or with "hanpen", a pillowy steamed fish cake which includes yama-imo. Hanpen freezes very well, if you want to put some aside for making datemaki.

• 6 eggs
  
• 60 hanpen (1 sheet) (steamed fish cake)
  
• 3 T sugar
  
• 1 T sake (rice wine)
  
• 2 T mirin (sweet rice wine)
  
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
  
• 1/3 tsp salt
  

* Chop hanpen roughly, place in blender or food processor with all other ingredients, and blend until hanpen is thoroughly amalgamated. Alternatively, grind hanpen into a paste in a mortar, and gradually amalgamate eggs and seasonings.

OVEN METHOD

* Heat oven to 200deg.C, set for 15 minutes.

* Pour mixture into greased pan, bake until surface is dry and edges golden-brown.

SQUARE FRYPAN METHOD

* Grease square pan, heat, pour all egg in at once. Cook without stirring.

* Once edges firm up, place a fish-grilling net or similar under the pan to reduce the heat, and place a tray (oil the bottom) etc over the top as a lid.

* Have an old wet towel nearby, and occasionally take the omelet pan off the heat and place it on the wet towel to reduce heat.

* When surface is dry, turn out onto flat surface such as the greased tray.

* Return to omelet pan, top side down, and cook for about 1 minute.

TO FINISH

* Spread out an oni-sudare (bamboo mat with heavy triangular slats). Remove the egg roll and place the browned side DOWN on the mat.

* Roll while still hot, pushing the egg with the near edge of the mat as you roll, until the entire roll is contained inside the rolled up mat. Fasten with a rubber band if necessary, and leave to cool, with the outside edge of the roll facing DOWN.

* When the roll is no warmer than lukewarm, unroll the mat, tip out the roll, and cut into 1cm slices with a sharp knife.

Keywords: Intermediate, Japanese

( RG2067 )