Photo: Kathy Gunst/Here & Now
There is a traditional Japanese omelet called Tamagoyaki, a rolled, thin, crepe-like omelet that often includes seaweed.
I’ve never eaten Tamagoyaki, but it occurred to me that sautéed zucchini and seaweed, topped with fresh eggs (whisked with sesame oil and a dash of soy sauce) would make a delicious omelet.
Japanese-Style Seaweed Omelet
Serve the omelet hot from the skillet, or at room temperature. You can also cut the omelet into strips and place on top of ramen, Asian soups or noodle dishes, rice dishes, or added to fried rice towards the end of the cooking time. (Serves 2-4 as an appetizer)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 1 cup finely chopped zucchini
- 1/2 cup seaweed strands, preferably Kelp or Nori, fresh or dried, plus 2 tablespoons*
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
- *If using dried seaweed, cut into thin strips
Instructions
- In an 8-inch heavy skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, or until golden brown and almost tender. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the 1/2 cup seaweed; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk the eggs with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil and all the soy sauce. Add the beaten eggs on top of the sautéed zucchini and seaweed and let cook about 3 minutes, without touching. Using a wide spatula, very carefully flip the omelet over in one piece. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the omelet doesn’t appear wet. Remove the skillet from the heat. Place a plate on top of the skillet and flip the omelet out of the skillet.
- In the same skillet you cooked the omelet in, heat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and add the remaining 2 tablespoons seaweed. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Top the omelet with the sautéed seaweed.
Notes
Recipe courtesy of Kathy Gunst/Here & Now, as part of “An Ocean Of Culinary Possibilities Using Fresh Seaweed Harvested In The US.” Kathy is the resident chef of NPR’s Here & Now and the author of 16 cookbooks. Her latest is, Rage Baking — The Transformative Power of Flour, Fury, and Women’s Voices (Tiller Press/Simon and Schuster).