Cocktail Party Food
Tamago-yaki Ikura (Japanese Omelet with Salmon Roe)
My cocktail club that gathers quarterly is the most successful club I have ever been a founding member of. Every other book, wine, or cook club closed its doors within a year or two. This meeting cranks on with a consistently good turn out and is now becoming a little challenging for me to come up with things that I haven't done before. It has to be new to me, that's my own rule and no ones else's.
Recently I decided I had been neglecting my old hero, David Chang of the Momofuku empire, despite reading every issue of Lucky Peach the day it comes out, which takes hours, sometimes days. Every issue is intense reading by a diverse group of the best food writers of our era, but I don't always cook immediately from it as the projects can be long and intense or impossible in my little house. David Chang makes the old Gourmet magazine look and feel lite. Eat your heart out Ruth Reichel. So it was fun to review a few issues and some of his latest network postings where he was out late night eating with friends and got to rambling on the subject of tamago-yaki. Years ago the busy genius started a late night happy hour with caviar as another way to charm the masses in Manhattan who need sustenance after midnight. Although a few wise acres complained about him fleecing drunks, most like me applaud him. Caviar has nutritional value and won't make you fat.
Cocktail Buffet Upper left to right: Basil and Ginger Lavash, Slow Food Tuna with Radishes, Tamago-yaki, Radish Garden (Tapenade) and Ripe Cheese Platter.
What a great idea to make this for the cocktail club. The appeal of the recipe to me is it is simple and elegant. What guest doesn't like to see caviar on display? It makes me feel happy. You make the omelet ahead so it can cool and slice nicely for serving. For the cook, learning the technique of the Japanese omelet is fun and not too difficult. Among pro chefs the pride is in the texture. I am not winning any prizes or notice for mine but it was well received. No matter what you're pouring or shaking, Tamago-yaki goes with it.