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OKONOMIYAKI INSPIRED BY SWEETNESS & LIGHTNING

Name: Okonomiyaki inspired by Sweetness & Lightning
Ingredients: For the Okonomiyaki Sauce; 1 tbsp white sugar; 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 4 tbsp ketchup; 3 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce; For the Japanese Mayo; 1 cup mayo; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar; For the Okonomiyaki; 1/4 cup pickled red ginger; 3 1/2 scallions, chopped; 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded; 1 cup cake flour; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 cup dashi broth; 1 can Japanese mountain yam, grated (if you can’t find this, you use 1/2 cup of milk combined with 1 tsp baking powder); 4 large eggs; 1/2 cup tenkasu (fried tempura scraps); 2 tbsp olive oil; slice of pork belly (or bacon); Dried bonito flakes (for garnish); Aonori (dried green seaweed, for garnish)

Picture for Okonomiyaki inspired by Sweetness & Lightning

6,128,553 views Okonimiyaki, a dish whose name literally means "how you like", can contain any number of fillings. But as depicted in Sweetness & Lightning, it can contain a great deal more: childlike wonder, paternal bonding, and squid. Follow along this week as we recreate this essential Japanese comfort food, and maybe learn a thing or two about growing up in the process.

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INGREDIENTS

For the Okonomiyaki Sauce

1 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp oyster sauce

4 tbsp ketchup

3 ½ tbsp worcestershire sauce

For the Japanese Mayo

1 cup mayo

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

For the Okonomiyaki

¼ cup pickled red ginger

3 ½ scallions, chopped

½ head of cabbage, shredded

1 cup cake flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 cup dashi broth

1 can Japanese mountain yam, grated (if you can’t find this, you use 1/2 cup of milk combined with 1 tsp baking powder)

4 large eggs

½ cup tenkasu (fried tempura scraps)

2 tbsp olive oil

slice of pork belly (or bacon)

Dried bonito flakes (for garnish)

Aonori (dried green seaweed, for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Start by roughly chopping your pickled red ginger, scallions and cabbage. To shred the cabbage, start by cutting the half in half and removing the core. Slice into thin ribbons and then slice the ribbons crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

¼ cup pickled red ginger

3 ½ scallions, chopped

½ head of cabbage, shredded

For the batter

Combine cake flour with baking powder. Grate Japanese mountain yam (or combine ½ a cup of milk with 1 tsp of baking powder for each yam) into the dry ingredients and then add cup dashi broth. Whisk to combine and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

1 cup cake flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 can Japanese mountain yam, grated (if you can’t find this, you use 1/2 cup of milk combined with 1 tsp baking powder)

1 cup dashi broth

Lightly beat large eggs and add into the mixture once you remove if from the fridge. Then add pickled red ginger, about ¾ of your chopped scallions, tenkasu, and about ¾ of your chopped cabbage. Fold in and mix together until everything is combined. Then add your remaining cabbage and mix that in as well.

4 large eggs

¼ cup pickled red ginger

3 ½ scallions, chopped

½ cup tenkasu (fried tempura scraps)

½ head of cabbage, shredded

In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over a medium heat. Add ½ of your mixture to the pan, and using 2 rubber spatulas, coax it into the proper shape, about 1 inch thick and about 8 inches around. Top with pork belly (or bacon) and cover for 5 minutes.

2 tbsp olive oil

slice of pork belly (or bacon)

After 5 minutes remove top and using either one big spatula or two small ones, flip and let cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Brush the top with a generous layer of Okonomiyaki sauce, and then stripe it with the Japanese mayonnaise, then using a wooden skewer, create a zig-zag pattern.

For the Okonomiyaki Sauce

For the Japanese Mayo

Optionally top with dried bonito flakes, aonori, and scallions, serve and enjoy!

Dried bonito flakes (for garnish)

Aonori (dried green seaweed, for garnish)

scallions, chopped

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