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Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki (Japanese Cabbage Pancake)

Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki (Japanese Cabbage Pancake)

Ingredients

  • 1 c
    Flour
  • 3 T
    Cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp.
    Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp.
    Sea Salt
  • 4 ea.
    Eggs
  • 3/4 c
    Dashi (homemade or mix Hon-Dashi bonito soup stock powder and water)
  • 1 T
    Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp.
    Sesame Oil
  • 1/4 to 1/3 head
    Green Cabbage, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 c
    Green Onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • 1 T
    Pickled Ginger, minced (homemade or premade, such as Beni Shoga brand)
  • 2 T
    Vegetable or Neutral Cooking Oil
  • 3 strips
    Braised Pork Belly, cut into about 2-to 3-inch strips (or cooked, thick-cut bacon)
  • 4 ea.
    Butterflied Shrimp, large, peeled and deveined

Preparation

  1. To make the batter, sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder into a medium bowl. Add salt and mix together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, dashi, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients until lumps are mostly mixed in. Do not overmix to ensure fluffier pancakes. Pour batter into a separate container, store in the refrigerator and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes, or up to two days.
  2. Add the cabbage, green onions and pickled ginger to a medium bowl. Fold in the batter until thoroughly combined and all vegetables are evenly distributed in the batter.
  3. Heat oil in an 8-inch, nonstick or cast-iron skillet (or flat top) over medium heat. Pour in about one-third of the batter into the hot pan, and diagonally place the pork belly or bacon strips on top of the pancake as it cooks. Place the shrimp pieces in between the pork belly slices.
  4. Cook over medium heat until edges begin to brown and the pancake slides easily around in the pan, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spatula as a guide, carefully and quickly flip the pancake, making sure all the proteins stay in place. Once flipped, press the edges down with the spatula to evenly cook the pancake. Continue to cook until the middle has set, about 3 minutes more.
  5. Use a toothpick or a cake tester to check for doneness. Repeat step 4 twice, using the remaining batter.
  6. To serve, brush on okonomiyaki sauce. Cut into 6 to 8 pizza-like slices. Drizzle mayo over the pancake in long diagonal slices. Garnish with more sliced green onion, a dusting of furikake and bonito flakes (if using).

Garnish:

Okonomiyaki sauce (homemade or premade, such as Otafuku brand)
Japanese Kewpie mayo
Japanese furikake seasoning (such as Nori Goma brand)

By Executive Chef/Owner Perry Saito, DŌZO, Charlotte, N.C.

Yield: Makes 3 pancakes (8 inches in diameter, cut into 6 to 8 pieces)