Mixed Crab & Eggs Ban Chan

~I love the Korean concept of ban chan. You cannot help but be charmed by the myriad of side dishes which come with every meal; each dish tantalizing tastebuds in different ways. A small green salad tossed lightly in a tangy vinaigrette. A spicy and salty crunch of cucumber kimchee. A sweet and salty marinated lotus root. A crisp bite of seasoned bean sprout, fragrant in soy and sesame oil. This dish is my homage to the fabulous world of ban chan. It has a bit of everything which Asians tend to enjoy; slightly sweet, creamy mayonnaise, a pop of salt from tobiko, and of course strips of omelet, offset by sweet crab. My in-laws who are my window to the Korean kitchen, decreed that although this dish cannot be labeled a traditional ban chan by any means, it is a welcome addition to family dinners. I tend to use the traditional orange tobiko. However there are four varieties of tobiko, differing slightly in flavor; from wasabi, to yuzu, to squid ink. Pick one or several varieties for added color.

 

Ingredients:

6oz can fancy crab meat

1 large brown egg

3 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp tobiko or masago

1 tsp nori fumi furikake

fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Drain and squeeze excess water from crab. Pick out any shell bits. Set crab aside.
2. In a medium bowl, blend mayonnaise, sugar, a few cracks of fresh ground pepper, and tobiko. Add crab and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk egg.
4. Warm pan on medium high heat and cover surface with oil. Add egg and swirl to spread thinly across surface. After approximately 20sec when most of egg is beginning to solidify, and flip.
5. Remove omelet from heat and set flat on chop board. Let cool for 1min.
6. Slice egg in half and stack on top of another. Thinly slice egg into shreds.
7. Add egg shreds to crab mixture and fold in gently. Place into serving bowl. Garnish with furikake.