Usuyaki tamago (Japanese egg crêpes) are paper-thin omelets that are used in a variety of ways in Japanese cuisine, including wrapping things and as a garnish. Today we’re going to shred the crêpes to make thin julienne strips, called kinshi tamago.
Doing this is super quick and quite easy. The tricks are to strain your egg batter so that your crêpes cook evenly, use a small skillet (I like to use an 8-inch skillet) so that you have more control over your product, re-oil your skillet between each crêpe, watch your crêpes carefully so that they don’t burn, and if your skillet starts to get too hot, turn it down and let it cool slightly before making the next crêpe. If you can do these things, you will be good to go!
Ok, first the usuyaki tamago/egg crêpes:
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Usuyaki Tamago (Japanese Egg Crêpes)
Makes about 4–5 crêpes in an 8-inch skillet
2 large eggs
2 1/4 teaspoons superfine sugar (caster/castor sugar)
1/4 teaspoon water or dashi
pinch of salt
vegetable oil
1. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs together with a whisk. Add the sugar, water, and season with the salt. Pour the egg batter through a fine mesh sieve (to get rid of any lumps so that your batter will cook evenly).
2. Heat a skillet over low-medium heat and brush the skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil. Reduce the heat to low and pour a small amount of the egg batter (roughly 1/4 to 1/5 of the batter) into the skillet and quickly swirl it around by tilting the skillet in all directions until it coats the bottom of the skillet evenly. The crêpe will cook very quickly, so watch it carefully to prevent it from burning. When the edges are dry and the middle is just set, loosen the edges with a spatula or chopstick and then turn the crêpe over and let the other side cook for about 10 seconds to help it “dry out”, then flip the crêpe out onto a plate to cool.
3. Repeat until all the egg batter has been used. Make sure to re-oil your pan between crêpes You can stack the crêpes on top of each other as you make them—they will not stick to each other. These crêpes will keep for 5 days, covered in the refrigerator.
** If you are going to be using these crêpes as wraps, it’s a good idea to strengthen them by adding some cornstarch into the egg batter. To do this, mix 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1/2 tablespoon of cold water and stir this into the egg mixture to combine it well.
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Now the kinshi tamago/shredded egg crêpes:
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Kinshi Tamago (Shredded Egg Crêpes)
Usuyaki Tamago (Japanese Egg Crêpes)
Stack the egg crêpes on top of each other. Roll the crêpes into a tight roll. With a sharp knife, cut the crêpes into thin strips (julienne), then loosen the pile with your fingers to separate the pieces.
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* Today you can find me over at Savor the Thyme where I am guest posting on the topic of how to introduce cultural foods to children.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I like to make these for Udon. But next time I make it, I’m going to use your cutting trick. It’s so much more efficient then what I’ve been doing. I’ve never strained the eggs either so I think I’ll give that a try. Great post as always :)
Jessica
Many, many thanks, particularly for the extra tip about cornstarch if I’ll be using these as wrappers (which is exactly what I’d like to do)! 8-)
interesting as usual – great photos
You are so full of good tips! Love the cornstarch tip!
I love these! I use the strips in my sushi. Nice pics!
I didn’t even realize there was such a thing, they look awesome.
I’ve never had these. They look yummy. Can’t go wrong with eggs and sugar!
It’s traditional to eat Crepes in France on Feb. 2nd to celebrate la Chandeleur (candlemas)… Never had egg-crepes though. I am curious to see how you are going to use them… In the meantime, I’ll be making sweet French crepes for my children tomorrow evening (no time today!).
I’m really impressed…. the egg crepes have always looked too complex for me!
Beautiful egg crêpes! Can’t wait to see what you make of them!
Beautiful! They look so pretty in long noodle-like strands!
Basil, tomatoes, egg shreds – perfect for breakfast!
I love it! I have tried making these, but I have trouble keeping the eggs thin and intact. I kept thinking I needed to buy a tamago pan. Maybe the trick is that my heat was on too high. Who knows? Thanks for sharing. Maybe I’ll give it another try. :)
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