Okonomiyaki

This is one of my most requested recipes. Exhibit 263:

There is, however, a reason why I’ve been reticent to share. I’ve never had Okonomiyaki in Japan. Mainly because I’ve never been to Japan (a sore point) and the ones I’ve had in the UK have been inconsistent. As a result, I don’t have what I consider to be a sufficient benchmark of what it should taste like or what the texture should really be. But here we are. I am going to share how I make it and you can decide for yourself.

For anyone Japanese reading this, yes, I use grated potato. Yes, I realise this is authentic as stuffing a turkey with a block of American style cheese. But I’m afraid I’ve tried it without and the paucity of yamaimo in the Bromley branch of M&S means I’m missing arguably the most authentic ingredient in the whole dish. There is a difference. I got my hands on some yamaimo (with gloves on, for it, like me, can irritate) and it did make a difference. I’d describe the texture to be like a certain brand of lay Magistrate: more custardy than you’d expect.

Final bit of blurb from me before I get to the recipe. Each Okonomiyaki needs one bowl to be mixed in and one pan to be cooked in. Don’t mix this up in one big bowl and then try to portion it out. Each okonomiyaki serves 1-2 depending on what you put in it, which really is up to you.

Step 1: Making the batter

1 large egg (plus one yolk if you want it to be richer)

40g of plain flour

40ml of dashi, or fish, or chicken stock (cold)

1tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of mirin

A pinch of salt and brown sugar

20g of a small peeled potato, finely grated

Mix all of these until they form a batter and then leave in the fridge for an hour to rest

Step 2: Cabbage and more if you want

A quarter of a sweetheart cabbage, cored and sliced as fine as you can

Other things - wow Ish, how specific

Okonomiyaki has cabbage. Even if you don’t think you like cabbage, this is not boiled until it smells like a jock strap. This is crisp and sweet and enveloped in batter. Which is how most things in life should be. You could add more to your batter if you wish. Bear in mind the okonomiyaki is only going to be cooking for about 8 minutes so anything that needs cooking for longer should be avoided.

Mix together well.

Step 3: Cook

A small frying pan on a mid to high heat with a thin layer of cooking oil

One of the most traditional ways of cooking okonomiyaki is with a thin layer of pork belly slices. Now, it’s a rare day when I turn down bacon or similar but I like my okonomiyaki to be either vegetarian or meat free. You could cook slices of pork belly until almost done, add your cabbage batter and go enjoy the pork/cabbage/batter party. But I go for something simpler. With the pan on medium and oil warmed, quickly tip the batter in and run a silicone spatula around the edges to give it a circular shape. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes, then cover for two minutes.

Now flip the okonomiyaki. How you do so is between you and your chosen deity. (I don’t have a fixed one so like Have I Got News For You, it’s a rotation of guest deities. I won’t reveal them all. There was a Liz Hurley phase but we need not hear more).

Once flipped, it’s the same again. two minutes uncovered and then two minutes covered.

Then out onto a plate.

Step 4: Japanese Jackson Pollock

Have fun. Go wild.

I usually do a lattice of Kewpie Mayo, Okonomiyaki sauce (or ketchup with Worcestershire Sauce in a 1tbsp to 1tsp ratio), and sriracha which is not authentic but again, I live in the London Borough of Bromley, not Osaka.

Then I add bonito flakes which dance around if the okonomiyaki is still warm.

Thinly sliced spring onions.

Seaweed

Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice powder)

It’s up to you.

Just don’t overdo the mayo. That makes it hard going.