Steps

1. Wrap aluminum foil around a rack or stand slightly larger than your egg pan, and coat one side with Vegetable Oil.
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2. Add Hanpen (100g), torn into pieces, to a food processor. Add Sugar (3 tbsp), Mirin (2 tbsp), Soy Sauce (1/3 tsp), and 4 Eggs.
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3. Process until smooth.
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4. Strain the mixture from the food processor through a sieve.
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5. Heat an egg pan over medium heat and lightly coat with Vegetable Oil.
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6. Place the heated pan on a damp cloth to cool down.
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7. Pour the combined ingredients into the pan. If there are any noticeable bubbles on the surface, pop them with a pointed object.
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8. Once the mixture is in the pan, place the rack made in Step 1 on top.
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9. Cook over very low heat for 10 minutes. Make sure the pan is centered on the burner so that heat is evenly distributed.
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10. After 10 minutes of cooking, shift the pan to the right side so the outer edge is on the burner to prevent sticking in the center, and cook for another 5 minutes.
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11. After 5 minutes, shift the pan to the left side so the other outer edge is on the burner, and cook for another 5 minutes.
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12. Turn off the heat after a total of 20 minutes of cooking. Gently slide a spatula between the aluminum foil and the datemaki to remove the foil.
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13. Insert a bamboo skewer. If the tip comes out clean, it is done. If batter still sticks, continue cooking for a longer period.
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14. Insert a bamboo skewer into each of the four corners to loosen the datemaki from the pan. Transfer to a tray or plate.
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15. Cover loosely with plastic wrap to allow steam to escape, and let cool to room temperature.
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16. Once cooled to room temperature, transfer to a cutting board and trim off the four corners. (This is the key!) The trimmed-off pieces can be used as sushi roll filling or as a snack.
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17. Cut the remaining datemaki into squares approximately 2cm thick.
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18. After cutting, flip the pieces to create a checkerboard pattern.
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19. Arrange the flipped pieces, place a plate on top, invert the plate, and serve.
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