Tamagoyaki is the neat, golden rolled omelette you'll spot tucked into bento boxes, served alongside sushi at breakfast, or sliced thick as a side dish on its own. It's made by pouring a thin layer of sweetened egg mixture into a rectangular pan, letting it just set, then rolling it up and repeating with more egg until you've built up dozens of delicate layers.
The technique takes a little practice to get the rolling right, but the payoff is a soft, slightly sweet, custardy omelette that's completely different from a Western-style omelette. Dashi stock, a touch of soy sauce, mirin and sugar go into the egg mixture, giving it a subtle savoury-sweet flavour that Japanese cooks have perfected over generations.
You don't strictly need the traditional rectangular tamagoyaki pan, though it does make rolling much easier if you're planning on making this a regular thing. Sliced into thick rounds, tamagoyaki is fantastic warm or at room temperature, and it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days - perfect for packing into lunchboxes all week.
