Made with egg and hanpen (fish cake), this sweet rolled omelette Datemaki is a delicious complement to your Osechi Ryori menu. Baked in the oven and rolled into a cylinder, this homemade Datemaki is simple enough to make from scratch for the festive season.

Datemaki (Japanese Sweet Rolled Omelette)

INGREDIENTS

• 110-130 g Hanpen (fish cake) (1 package; See Notes)
• 4 large eggs

Seasonings:

• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 1 Tbsp sake
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients. You will also need parchment paper and a bamboo sushi mat. In Japan, we use a special bamboo mat with thicker bamboo strips called Oni-Sudare, which givesbig ridges/indentations to datemaki.
2. Preheat oven to 400 ºF (200 ºC). Line an 8" x 8" (20 x 20cm) baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Cut the hanpen into ½ inch cubes and whisk eggs in a small bowl.
4. In a blender or food processor, put the hanpen and Seasonings (2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp honey, and ½ tsp soy sauce).
5. Add the beaten egg and blend until smooth, about 1 to 1.5 minutes.
6. Strain the egg mixture through a fine sieve to a clean bowl.
7. Then pour the mixture back into the blender and strain one more time into the bowl. Finally, pour the mixture into the baking dish lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake at 400 ºF (200 ºC) for 20 minutes or until slightly brown on top. If the top is not golden brown, switch to a broiler and broil for 2 minutes or until the surface is a golden brown color. The center of the omelette will rise a little bit as the top gets brown. It will shrink as it cools, sodon’t worry.
9. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let omelette deflate and cool to handle, just for 1-2 minutes (DO NOT LEAVE IT more than that). We will need to roll the omelette while it’s hot.
10. Transfer the omelette from the baking dish to a working surface by lifting the parchment paper. Then place the bamboo mat over the omelette, the flat bamboo side facing up.
11. Carefully flip the omelette and remove the parchment paper.
12. Carefully score the omelette ⅛ inch (3 mm) deep every ½ inch (a knife should be parallel to the bamboo sticks directions). This incision will help the omelette roll up without breaking/cracking.

    
13. Roll the omelette into a tight cylinder.
14. Secure the bamboo mat roll with rubber bands and wrap it with plastic wrap. Let cool completely for 2-3 hours.

To Serve and Store

1. Carefully remove the Datemaki from the bamboo mat. Cut into 12 equal slices, about ¾ inch wide pieces. Serve at room temperature. You can store it in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

RECIPE NOTES

Hanpen (Fish Cake): You can find Hanpen in the refrigerated or frozen section of a Japanese grocery store. If you cannot find it, substitute with white fish (skinless/boneless), scallop or shrimp.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/datemaki-sweet-rolled-omelette/