Sweet and savory layered Japanese sushi omelette served nigiri style over cauliflower sticky rice wrapped in thin sushi nori ribbons.
On a trip to Japan at the age of eight, I ate my first piece of tamago nigiri. The sweet and salty layers of egg over sticky rice with just the right amount of seaweed were forever etched on my mind and my taste buds.
Believe it or not, the layered Japanese omelette is not very hard to make. And you don't need any special equipment. Traditionally, you would need a square pan, which I don't have. But I can make it in a regular round pan and it works great.
To make this tamago P-dox compliant, I make a few swaps. Japanese tamago is often made with mirin, a sweet low-alcohol rice wine. But, Mirin has corn syrup to give it extra sweetness. That's not good for us. I swap out mirin for rice cooking wine that I get at the Asian market. It is plenty sweet and it doesn't have that extra unwanted high glycemic corn syrup ingredient. Another swap is for sugar found in traditional tamago. I use monk fruit sweetener. It's zero glycemic and caloric but has the same sweetness as sugar.
Now, let's talk about soy sauce. You could choose to use soy sauce, but make sure it's authentic fermented soy sauce. Fermentation kills lectins. Whether I use soy sauce or coconut aminos, I achieve the same result. Many P-doxers shy away from soy sauce for its name. But fermented soy is okay on the P-dox plan. Take advantage of your local Asian market to find the right ingredients. Read on for the full recipe.
The Recipe
Egg Tamago (layered Japanese omelette)
4 eggs
3 t Rice Wine for Cooking
2 t Fermented Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
2 t Monk Fruit Sweetener
Sesame Oil for the Pan
Cauliflower Sticky Rice
2 Cup Organic Cauliflower Rice (Hack: buy cauliflower rice in a steam bag)
2 T Grassfed Cream Cheese
Instructions:
Make the cauliflower sticky rice first. Cook the cauliflower rice per bag instructions. Measure 2 cup of cooked cauliflower rice into a small bow. Add 2 T cream cheese. Stir together until it's thoroughly mixed and rice is sticky. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Next make the tamago, Japanese layered omelette. In a small bowl whisk all tamago ingredients together until very well blended. Swirl about 1 T sesame oil in a preferably square (but round will do) pan on low heat until pan is fully coated. Next, pour about 1/3 cup of tamago batter into the oiled, heated pan. Swirl the batter around until it covers the bottom. Move the pan back on the burner a bit so that the heat is concentrated on the half of the omelette nearest you. After about one minute, or when the egg is risen a little and mostly dry, flip the omelette in half away from you. Now flip that entire omelet over, and make sure it stays on the half of the pan farthest away from you.
Repeat the process. Add more oil if necessary, and add 1/3 cup more batter to half of the pan and swirl around so it coats the half of the pan closest to you. Lift the omelette at the fold slightly to get some of the batter underneath the omelette. After about one minute, or when egg is risen and mostly dry, flip the omelette in half again away from you. You're creating layers. Repeat until all the egg batter is gone. Once you've flipped the final layer, give the entire omelette another flip. Traditionally, this is the point when a square weight is put on top of the omelette to press the layers together. I just use my spatula to press it down a bit.
Once your omelette is cooked, refrigerate it for an hour. The flavors will intensify and your omelette layers will hold together better.
Assemble your tamago nigiri. Take about a tablespoon of sticky rice and make a tight round or square base for your tamago to sit on. I have a nifty sushi cube kitchen gadget that makes this step a breeze. Next, cut the omelette into one-inch strips from the fold to the edge, all the way across. Then cut those strips into 1/2 inch strips. Turn them on their sides so that the layers are face up. Cut these strips into about 1 1/2 inch segments. Use two segments for each piece of nigiri. Place two segments on top of a rich ball or cube.
Finally, wrap the nigiri in a thin, sushi nori ribbon. With a very sharp knife, cut the sushi nori sheet into thin ribbons about 1/2 inch thick. Take a ribbon and place it on your prep board. Now place a piece of nigiri in the center. Take the left end and wrap the ribbon all the way around the nigiri as far as it will go. Then take the right side, wet the end with water and wrap it as far as it will go. The wet end should stick.
This should make about 10-12 pieces of sushi. Place your nigiri pieces artfully on a platter and serve.
Pairs great with an aged Japanese whiskey. Kanpai!