Recipe: “As You Like It” Savory Pancake

Okonomiyaki, literally “grilled as you like it,” originated in Osaka. A popular group meal, it is often served with Yakisoba (page 82), and Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki marries the two into a sort of noodle-filled pancake. It’s easy to prepare at home and a real crowd-pleaser, for kids and drinking buddies alike.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 10 slices thick-cut bacon
• 5 or 6 shrimp
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/ 2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/ 2 medium head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1 green onion, including tender green top, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
• 1 cup Okonomiyaki or Tonkatsu sauce (*see below), warmed, for serving
• 1/ 4 cup mayonnaise for serving
• Aonori (seaweed flakes) and katsuobushi (*see below) for serving

Place the bacon in a single layer between 2 layers of paper towels and microwave on high for 3 minutes until cooked through but not crispy, or cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium-high heat, turning as needed, 4–5 minutes. Cut each slice into several pieces. Boil the shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain, peel, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, using a fork or chopsticks, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon water. Beat in the eggs until well mixed. Stir in the cabbage, green onion, bacon, and shrimp.

Heat a 10-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, use a ladle to pour half the batter into the pan to create a large pancake. Cook, without disturbing, until just browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. When the pancake can slide easily on the pan (don’t be tempted to flip it before it has set!), use a spatula to carefully flip it and cook it on the second side until lightly browned, 4–5 minutes longer. Transfer the pancake to a plate and repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and batter to make one more.

Meanwhile, place the sauce, mayonnaise, aonori, and katsuobushi in small separate bowls on the table. To serve, drizzle on the sauce and mayonnaise, and then top with aonori and katsuobushi. If the sauce is properly hot, the katsuobushi will seem to dance.

*Katsuobushi – Dried bonito flakes used for making dashi from scratch

*Okonomiyaki sauce – This sweet-sour-fruity combination of tomato, fruit, vinegar and spices is closely related to tonkatsu sauce and yakisoba sauce and in a pinch, any one of the three can be substituted for the others. If your regular market carries it, it will be stocked in the international food aisle along with other Asian sauces

*Tonkatsu Sauce – Also called fruit sauce, this thick, slightly sweet, spiced (think cloves) sauce is indispensable in the modern Japanese kitchen. Bull Dog is a famous Japanese brand, but Kikkoman is the most widely available brand outside of Japan. Almost no one makes this sauce at home, so if you can’t find it at your market, buy it online. It keeps in the refrigerator for a long time after opening.