Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake, is a Japanese bar snack, something that you eat (or make) while you’re drinking. There are restaurants in Japan that make nothing but okonomiyaki, where you sit at a bar or table with a griddle set into it and pick what you want in your “pancake.” Everything is fair game, from sliced roasted pork to enoki mushrooms—even to the loose bits of fried batter that are a by-product of tempura called tenkasu. This batter, which includes shredded cabbage, is made in the style linked with Osaka; in Hiroshima, the other part of Japan where the pancake is popular, they add soba noodles to the batter. Obviously it’s a very flexible recipe. Here I use bean sprouts and peas, but vary it as you like. For example, omit the sprouts and peas and use 1/2 cup sliced squid and 1/2 cup asparagus tips; in the summer, substitute 1 cup fresh corn kernels scraped off the cob. You might look for Japanese Kewpie brand mayonnaise to finish the okonomiyaki; the container makes it easy to do the very 1980s squeeze bottle garnish of mayo and okonomiyaki sauce (which is like ketchup and also comes in a squeeze bottle, available at Japanese markets) that is part of the dish’s charm. Personally, what I like is the eerie way the bonito shimmy when they’re scattered across the pancake.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 pancakes, enough for 4 starter or side dishes
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat a griddle or medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat while you make the batter.
Step 2
Mix together the eggs, flour, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the dashi, mixing in only enough to moisten the flour; don’t worry about a few lumps. Stir in the cabbage and scallions and, if the batter seems thick at this point, add a little more water or dashi to thin it out.
Step 3
Grease your griddle or pan with a teaspoon of the oil and, when the oil shimmers, ladle the batter onto the griddle or skillet, using about a quarter of the batter for each 6-to 8-inch pancake.
Step 4
After 2 or 3 minutes, when the first side is beginning to color, scatter the top of the pancake with a handful of bean sprouts and 2 tablespoons of the peas, patting them down a little to anchor them in the batter. Flip the pancake and cook the second side for 2 or 3 minutes, then flip and continue cooking, flipping as necessary to ensure even coloration, for another 5 minutes; the okonomiyaki needs to spend about 10 minutes in total over the heat.
Step 5
Transfer the okonomiyaki to a warmed plate, spread a little mayonnaise across the top of it (or drizzle it across the top if you’re using Japanese mayonnaise in one of those squirt bottles), drizzle liberally with okonomiyaki sauce, and top with a generous handful of bonito flakes. Serve at once, cutting it into wedges at the table. Repeat for the remaining batter. (You can also hold the pancakes on an ovenproof plate in a 200°F oven for up to 15 minutes while you cook the second batch, but they’re best hot out of the pan. If you’re going to hold them in the oven, garnish just before serving.)
