Okonomiyaki

Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour
• 180 ml dashi stock, cold
• 4 pieces eggs
• 500 g white cabbage, shredded
• 4 pieces spring onions, sliced
• 200 g pork belly, thinly sliced
• 80 g grated nagaimo yam (optional)
• 4 tbsp okonomiyaki sauce
• 3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• 10 g katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
• 1 tsp aonori

Steps

1. 1
   Whisk the flour with the cold dashi and the grated yam if using, and rest the batter in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. 2
   Shred the cabbage into short 1 cm pieces rather than long ribbons — long strands make a pancake that will not hold together.
3. 3
   Beat in the eggs, then fold through the cabbage and spring onions. Fold, do not stir; the mixture should look barely bound, mostly cabbage.
4. 4
   Heat a griddle to medium and spoon a quarter of the mixture into a round about 2 cm thick. Do not press it down — compressing it makes it dense.
5. 5
   Lay pork slices over the top and cook 5 minutes until the base is set and browned.
6. 6
   Flip carefully and cook another 5-6 minutes, then flip once more for 2 minutes.
7. 7
   Brush with okonomiyaki sauce, zigzag over the mayonnaise, and finish with aonori and a heap of bonito flakes.
8. 8
   Serve at once — the flakes move in the rising steam, which is half the point.