Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savoury Pancake)

Method

1. Cut out the hard core of the cabbage, slice the leaves into 5 mm strips, then chop across into pieces about 1 cm long. Thinly slice the spring onions and roughly chop the pickled ginger. If the pork slices are longer than 12 cm, cut them in half.

   Add in this stepWhite cabbage 300 gSpring onions 20 gRed pickled ginger (beni shoga) 10 gThinly sliced pork belly 120 g

2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and cold dashi until smooth with no lumps. Just before cooking, add the eggs, cabbage, tempura bits, spring onions and pickled ginger, and fold from the bottom up about 15 times to work in air. Stop as soon as the cabbage is evenly coated; overmixing makes it heavy.

   Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour 100 gSalt 1 pinchCold dashi stock 120 mlEggs 2Tempura bits (tenkasu) 20 g

3. Divide the batter by eye into one portion per pancake (2 in total, each about 18 cm across). Heat 2 tsp of oil in a 26 cm frying pan over medium heat for 1 min 30 sec, add one portion and gently shape it into a round about 2 cm thick. Do not press it down.

   Add in this stepCooking oil 4 tsp

   medium heat

4. Lay the pork slices on top side by side without overlapping and cook over medium heat for 4 min. Lift an edge with a spatula: the underside should be deep golden and the rim should look dry and set.

   medium heat

5. Slide a wide spatula (two are easier) right underneath and flip in one quick, confident motion. Tuck any stray cabbage back in, cover with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 5 min so the pork crisps and the inside steams through. Do not press; that squeezes out the fluffiness.

   medium-low heat

6. Uncover, flip back so the pork is on top and cook over medium heat for 2 min. Push a chopstick into the centre: if it comes out without wet batter, it is done. Move to a plate and cook the remaining pancakes the same way, adding oil each time.

   medium heat

7. Brush the sauce over the top, drizzle thin lines of mayonnaise, then scatter the green laver and bonito flakes. Cut into wedges and eat hot.

   Add in this stepOkonomiyaki sauce (or tonkatsu sauce) 3 tbspMayonnaise 2 tbspGreen laver flakes (aonori) 1 tspBonito flakes (katsuobushi) 4 g