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–+ servings

Tenshinhan (Crab Meat Omelette on Rice)

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Soaking time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 2 portions

Ingredients 
 

Prep

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
  • 200 ml chicken bouillon
  • ½ tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ½ tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cold water for slurry
  • 1 tsp potato starch (katakuriko) for slurry

Tenshinhan

  • 1 tbsp Japanese leek (naganegi) white part, finely diced
  • 30 g imitation crab crab sticks
  • 4 egg
  • 2 tsp Japanese mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp shiitake mushroom dashi leftover from soaked shiitake
  • 1 tsp ginger paste or grated ginger
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • green peas to garnish

Instructions 

Prep

  • Place 2 dried shiitake mushroom in a small bowl of 100 ml water and soak for about 20-30 minutes or until softened.
    Dried shiitake mushrooms soaking in a bowl of water
  • Use this time to cook your rice. (I often use frozen rice and microwave it while cooking the sauce.)
    mixing cooked rice in a pot with a rice paddle

Sauce

  • Place a saucepan on the stove and 1 tbsp butter over a low heat.
    Butter melting in a pan
  • Once melted, add 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and mix.
    Soy sauce and butter in a pan
  • Add 200 ml chicken bouillon, ½ tbsp light brown sugar and 1 pinch salt. Turn up the heat to medium and bring it to a boil. Pour 1 tbsp cold water into a small bowl and mix in 1 tsp potato starch (katakuriko) to make a slurry.
    Sauce for tenshinhan simmering in a pan
  • Let the sauce boil for 1 minute and then add the slurry and ½ tbsp rice vinegar.
    Adding slurry to thicken sauce for tenshinhan
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir continuously until it becomes slightly thickened and glossy. Turn off the heat but leave the pot on the stove and cover to keep it warm.
    Thickened sauce for tenshinhan

Omelet

  • Remove the soaked shiitake mushrooms from the water (but don't throw away the water!), cut off the stems and then cut them into thin slices.
    Sliced shiitake mushroom next to a bowl of shiitake dashi
  • Shred 30 g imitation crab with a fork and finely dice 1 tbsp Japanese leek (naganegi).
    shredded imitation crab sticks, finely chopped spring onion and sliced shiitake mushrooms on a wooden chopping board
  • Crack 4 egg into a bowl and whisk.
    eggs whisked in a glass bowl
  • Add the Japanese leek, shiitake mushrooms and imitation crab, then whisk again.
    Imitation crab, spring onion and shiitake mushrooms mixed with eggs
  • Next add 1 tbsp shiitake mushroom dashi (left over water from soaking the mushrooms) per portion along with 2 tsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 pinch salt and 1 pinch ground black pepper. Whisk until evenly distributed.
    Adding a tablespoon of shiitake dashi to egg mixture
  • Heat a frying pan (preferably non-stick) on medium-high and once hot, add 1 tbsp cooking oil.
    Swirl it around and evenly coat the pan. Pour the egg mixture in and whisk for about 30 seconds.
    whisking egg for tenshinhan
  • Turn down the heat to medium and continue to heat without mixing until the egg is cooked half way through (it will be a bit runny on top - if you don't like runny eggs you can flip it to cook the other side.)
    half cooked tenshinhan
  • Make a mountain of 200 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice on a plate and carefully slide the omelet on top of the rice.
    Tenshinhan cooked egg over rice
  • Pour the sauce over the top and garnish with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and a few green peas.
    Complete tenshinhan topped with green peas
  • Enjoy!
    Tenshinhan - Crab meat omelette on rice with white spoon

Notes

If doubling or tripling the recipe, divide the egg and cook each portion separately to ensure beautiful presentation. (This will also prevent the omelette from becoming too thick.)