This post is a love note to the oh so addictive egg sandwich that we discovered in the fab Japanese convenience store Lawson and fell in love with instantly and completely! The phonetic Japanese name of 'Tamago Sando' translates to 'egg sandwich.' I know, I know, there have been egg sandwiches around for ages and ages, what's the big to-do for one more egg sandwich? Well, after our last visit to Tokyo, we so longed for our daily Lawson's egg sandwich that I finally put my foot down, no more dreaming ladies and gents, let's make our own!
And it was, wonderfully, so easy to make and so happy to eat! With a creamy and ever so comforting eggy filling spread onto soft and pillowy milk bread, this humble Tamago Sando Japanese Egg Sandwich is to die for!
Start with fresh eggs. For this egg sandwich we start with Japanese eggs, which are my current favorite eggs to consume in Hong Kong. These eggs are super fresh and so delish with the most golden yellow yolks you've ever seen. The important idea is to find and use the freshest eggs possible!
We first need to hard boil some eggs. For hard boiling some techniques start with room temperature water and others with boiling water. We like to use the start with boiling water method as it seems to make the peeling a bit easier. Anyhoo, both ways will get you a hard boiled egg, just be sure to 1) gently lower the egg into the water to prevent any cracking and 2), once the eggs are in, lower the heat to a gentle boil so as to not toss the eggs around and crack em while cooking.
Once the cooking is done, the eggs are plunged into cool running water or an ice bath to cool them down and stop the cooking. This cool bath shrinks the egg a wee bit, to allow the egg shells to be peeled easily.
Once cooled down it's peeling time! First the egg must be carefully cracked all over. Do this by cracking the big end first by tapping on the table. Next crack the rest of the egg by gently rolling the egg along the table until cracked all over. With the egg shell cracked all over it's easy to peel the shell right off.
Eggs are hard boiled, peeled and ready to make into egg filling. The eggs are sliced and the cooked egg white and egg yolk are separated. See how the egg yolk is jammy in the middle? That's how we like it but you can cook a bit longer to hard boiled if you prefer.
The egg whites are gathered in one heap and then finely chopped.
The luscious golden yolks are put in a mixing bowl and all the various flavorings are added in. There is some salt, some sugar, freshly ground black pepper, a touch of powdered mustard seed, a spoonful of condensed milk, milk and two to three goodly squeezes of kewpie mayo.
Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese mayonnaise that has a cult like status, known for its rich flavor and creamy texture. Why is it different from other mayos? Well, it only uses egg yolks instead of whole eggs. And for the acid, it uses a vinegar blend of rice, apple cider and balsamic vinegars instead of lemon juice. I would totally recommend using kewpie mayo for the authentic tamago sando!
See how goldenly and creamy the egg yolks look after mixing? Nom, nom, am I right? And then the finely chopped egg whites are added in to provide the just right texture.
Simply mix it all together and ta-daa, you've got the perfect egg filling for the perfect tamago sando egg sandwich. Perfectly creamy, perfectly textured, perfectly golden!
The tamago sando egg filling is usually sandwiched inbetween milk bread, which is an milk and butter enriched asian bread that is soft and fluffy. We made our own milk bread but you can find milk bread in asian bakeries or, if in HK, in normal supermarkets. If you can't find milk bread, no problem, just use a soft white bread.
Before adding the egg filling to the bread, first spread a light coat of butter over both slices. This will prevent the filling from soaking into the bread. Then, spread a scoop of egg filling over the bread and spread with a knife. Top with the second slice* and your tamago sando is ready to nom, nom, nom...
*Note: For those interested, the tamago sando is usually served crustless. But we love our crusts so much we couldn't leave them out. Crust or no crust, it's up to you!
Tamago Sando/Japanese Egg Sandwich
(makes 4-5 sandwiches) Prep time: 10 mins Cook time:10 mins
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp mustard seed powder
- 1 tsp condensed milk
- 3 tsp milk
- 4 tbsp kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tsp softened salted butter
- 8-10 milk bread slices (check out our homemade milk bread recipe)
Directions:
Boil the eggs: Add 4 cups of water to a pot. Heat. When boiling turn the heat down and use a slotted spoon to lower each egg gently into the water. Boil the eggs for 10 mins, adjusting the heat to be sure the water is at a gentle boil. Remove the eggs and cool immediately under running water or an ice bath.
Crack the eggs: When the eggs are completely cooled tap the large end of one egg on the table until it cracks. Then roll the egg gently on the table to crack the sides and bottom. Peel the shell off.
Chop the egg whites: Slice the eggs in half. Separate the whites from the yolks, putting the yolks in a mixing bowl. Finely dice the egg whites.
Egg yolks with flavoring: To the egg yolks add salt, sugar, black pepper, mustard seed powder, condensed milk, milk and kewpie mayo. Mix and mash until completely combined. Add in the egg whites and mix in. The filling is done.
Butter the bread: Lightly butter each slice of bread.
Spread the filling: Spread egg filling on half of the bread slices. Top with the other slices and press down gently.
Serve: Cut the crust off the bread if desired. Slice tamago sando in half and serve. Enjoy the egg-liciousness!
Store: If not eating right away, store the egg filling in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
Eggy Delights at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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