Datemaki

Ribbed scrolled egg for New Year

Ingredients:

• Egg 3

• Hanpen (small, 50g) 1 sheet

• Sugar 1 tbsp

• Mirin 1 tbsp

• Water 1 tbsp

• Dashi powder 1 pinch

• Salt a pinch

Use baking pan or frying pan.

Adjust the sweetness to your taste. My recipe is much less sweet than the typical dashimaki.

Directions;

1. Blend eggs with small pieces of hanpen, other ingredients until smooth. (I used the electric mixer.)

2. Pour the mixture into a parchment-lined pan (18cm x 18 cm square or alternative) and bake until cooked through.  (375F or 200C, 20 minutes, may vary) Or using a frying pan (on low heat, covered) would also work.

3. While still hot, place it on the bamboo mat with the baked brown side up, roll it tightly in the mat (oni sudare, a special type of makisu to make pointy edges) and secure it with rubber bands to set the shape.

4. Chill before slicing and serving.  (Tilt while chilling, so the extra juice will come out.)

Note:

• Datemaki is a sweet, rolled Japanese omelette, a traditional and popular dish in osechi ryōri, the Japanese New Year's feast, known for its fluffy, cake-like texture and sweet-savory flavor. I reduce the amount of sugar to make it less sweet.

• Its scroll-like shape represents knowledge, learning, and scholarly achievement, making it popular for students.

• Oni sudare can be found at a kitchen tool store or online.