I bought a Korean Egg Roll omelette pan a while ago determined to make a lovely, custardy egg roll to just eat with rice or make a Kimbap. I got an amazing on on Temu that for the first month sat in bubble wrap in a drawer. Then I made one omelette that turned out miserably. Well, to my expectations. it tasted fine but it was browned and I have seen photos and videos where that is fine. I did not want that nor do I personally like the taste of the browned part of eggs. Also the rolling was fairly difficult. It kept ripping. So for months, after the pan was relegated to grilled cheese sandwiches and then hubbo started using to fry up salami for the kids sandwiches. The great thing about this pan is that it is honestly the most non-stick pan I have ever had. We have gone through all the types and this random one is the best.
We then went to Korea this year and I randomly grabbed a 계란김밥 (gyeran-gimbap) at the convenience store at the airport in Seoul to eat on the plane because it was at the exact time where we had to check in between meals and would not eat for hours, mid-flight. I was so mad because it was so awesome. I hadn't had one before the whole trip because who would eat convenient store kimbap when you have Namdaemun Hotteok. It was SOOOOOO good. It was a full-sized roll that your mom would make before slicing. The egg wasnt that tiny chiclet sized egg that accompanies other ingredients. The egg was like 75% of the roll. It wasnt at all browned. It wasnt oozy nor overcooked. It was similar to a really nice Tamago sushi.
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When we returned home, my plans churned for recreating that egg. I thought about making a whole pan, poached and sliced. But from a volume perspective, that would have been a couple dozen eggs. So then I started looking at silicon candy bar shaped molds to steam the eggs but posts would say that it would not be sufficiently solid to roll. So I returned to my 'grilled cheese' pan, lol. It worked!
I used 3 eggs for the one in the photo because I really wanted to make one as big as the roll in the convenience store one. But in the end, the 3 eggs turned out bigger and also toward the end, it was harder to roll. 2 Eggs would be slightly smaller and easier to roll. Not shown in pictures, the 2 eggs will make an omelette that is about 3 cm square rather than the 4 shown. The way I made it is what you really need to pay attention to.... this is as much a log for myself for the next time. For example, I deliberately left out the sesame oil in the egg to avoid over browning.
Korean Egg Kimbap - 계란김밥 (gyeran-gimbap)
for 1 roll, in a measuring cup
neutral vegetable roll, do not use extra virgin olive oil
2 Eggs
pinch of salt (1/8 t)
1/2 t Soy sauce
1/2 - 1 t Mirin (do not substitue rice wine vinegar, if you do, you need to add 1/4t sugar)
Optional
Sesame seeds
Sesame oil
1. Leave eggs out on the counter to come to room temp for at least an hour.
2. Beat all the ingredients in the cup well. Try to break down the whites as much as possible. Really fresh eggs, the protein in the whites will be more difficult. So 'smush' the clumps of white as much as you can but you do not want to froth up the eggs. Once beaten, let sit on the counter after for 10-15 minutes to let the bubbles subside.
3. Place the omelette pan on next to the near lowest heat (mine was 2 on a scale of 9 on a gas stove) on the stove and lightly brush with oil.
4. Pour in just enough egg to cover the bottom. Put less than you think and then tilt around until it mostly covers. It will not sizzle. If it does, your heat is up to high. Lift it right off the heat, turn down the heat, wait a bit and put it back down. This will be slower than any other omelette but your patience will be rewarded.
5. When you see that the bottom becomes opaque.... you will not see the blackness of the pan through the egg as much. It will still look raw on top but starting to congeal. This will actually help the omelette stick to itself as you roll
6. Use a straight edged spatula. I used a bakers metal spatula because our egg one has rounded edges and it could not get into the corners. A sushi chef can do this with chopsticks. I tried and tore up the egg. Do not bother.
7. You do not want it to be completely solidified on top because that is when the bottom will start to brown. Lift the handle off the heat just a bit, tilting the pan just a bit. Gently shimmy the edge of the spatula at the edge by the handle and try to just turn over the egg on it self by like 1/2 cm / 1/4". Then continuously do that until the roll is all the way at the other end of the pan. As the 'log' grows, you will roll more at a time as much as the roll will let you without tearing.
8. Now, this is me, I do not move the roll once it has reached the end of the rolling. I pour the new egg in the space left so as I roll, the 'log' will be at one end of the pan or the other, not the same end. More moving means more potential for breaking.... at least for me.
9. Brush the empty part of the pan with oil.
10. Pour just enough egg to just cover the empty part of the pan. Try to keep the part of the pan with the rolled part off the heat element.
11. Same as before wait on low heat for the egg to go opaque and just barely start to cook on the bottom and the top to start to congeal.
12. Roll the rolled-egg back over the new omelette with the spatula. You will want to be gentle because the egg is only just cooked so easily ripped. Sushi makes like to do this bouncing motion with the pan, lifting and dropping, to get air under the roll. You could try that. I just took my time. Also, do not worry too much about a few tears on this first roll because you wont see it. Also I prefer a tear to a browned egg in the roll.
13. Repeat until all the egg is done. Once it is all rolled up, You will want to roll the egg on all four sides for a minute to strengthen it up.
14. Brush with sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds. Build a Kimbap or eat with rice.
Now on to the Tornado Omelette which I haven't managed to not turn into scrambled eggs.
