Okonomiyaki Recipe

by Chef Hiroko Shimbo Japanese crepes stuffed with cabbage, pork and shrimp

Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup mirin (sweet cooking wine)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons shoyu (soy sauce)
Batter Ingredients
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup grated nagaimo yam about 2 ounces; or substitute with 3 tablespoons potato starch
3 1/2 ounces cabbage shredded into fine strips
1/4 to 1/3 cup green part of scallion rings
1 ounce thinly sliced pork belly
4 large shrimp shelled and butterflied
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon aonori (fresh water seaweed flakes)

In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Beat the egg in a bowl and add the flour, water, salt, and grated mountain yam or potato starch, and mix. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Heat a large non-stick skillet, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl the skillet to coat the entire bottom. When the oil is hot, pour out the excess, and reserve it.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. With a ladle scoop a half portion of the batter and pour into the skillet. Make the batter into a 10-inch disk. Place the cabbage evenly on top of the disk, and then the scallion slices. Salt and pepper the pork belly slices and butterflied shrimp. Put the pork and shrimp over the cabbage slices.
After about 5 minutes of cooking check the bottom. If it is lightly golden, pour the remaining batter evenly over the cabbage and continue cooking until the bottom is golden.
With a spatula turn the pancake over, press it to flatten the bottom, and cook until the other bottom is golden. If needed, add the reserved oil to the skillet.
Flip the pancake over again and with a pastry brush, spread some of the sauce over the surface of the pancake. Sprinkle the aonori flakes. Cut the pancake into 4 to 6 pieces, like a pizza, and serve hot.

Okonomiyaki