It seems that Japanese is becoming the Sunday night dinner of choice. Our latest experiment was to recreate a sushi train favourite, Okonomiyaki, the very tasty Japanese seafood pancake, and I have to say it was a brilliant success. We did need a few speciality items from the Asian grocers but all in all it was an easy and very cheap meal to recreate, I definitely recommend you give it a go.
This recipe is one from the ‘Soup Kitchen’ as dad would say, all from my head using a combination of ingredients and methods from various recipes, research and personal preference.
Serves 4
1 cup Okonomiyaki flour
1 ½ cup water
2 eggs
2 cups Asian cabbage, roughly chopped
½ cup green and white parts of spring onions, chopped
200g raw prawns, chopped
200g baby octopus
Rice bran oil (you can use whatever oil you have vegetable, peanut etc)
Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise
Okonomi sauce
Bonito flakes
½ cup green part of spring onions, finely sliced
Firstly, place octopus in a pot of cold water, bring up to a simmer and cook gently until the octopus are just cooked. Once cooked, about 5 minutes of simmering, strain into a colander and set aside to cool.
Peel and devein prawns. Chop roughly.
In a medium bowl whisk the flour and eggs together, adding water slowly. It should be quite runny, like a crepe batter. You may need more or less water depending on the flour mix you purchase and the size of the eggs. Once combined set aside. There is no need to add salt to this as the Okonomiyaki flour is seasoned.
Roughly chop cooked and cooled octopus meat.
In a large bowl combine the cabbage, shallots, prawns and octopus. Slowly add the batter mix, stirring to combine. The batter should coat every ingredient and there should also be a shallow pool of batter at the bottom of the bowl.
Heat a fry pan to medium high, add a tablespoon or so of oil and spoon the desired amount of mixture onto the pan, flattening with the back of the fish slice or spatula. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until well browned.
Place on plate and drizzle with Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise, Okonomi sauce, sprinkle over shaved Bonito flakes and finely slices shallots.
This publication has inspired me to start focusing on my own blog