Okonomiyaki with Sea Scallops and Homemade Otafuku Sauce

I'm heading to Japan in a couple of weeks so I thought I'd better brush up on my Japanese.

Thanks to Seafood Industry Victoria, AB Hunter Fishing and LEFCOL (Lakes Entrance Fishermen's Cooperative Limited) for providing the sea scallops for this post.



Okonomiyaki with Sea Scallops and Homemade Otafuku Sauce
adapted from SBS
Makes 4

For the Batter:
300g (2 cups) plain flour
75g (1/2 cup) potato starch
1/2 teaspoon powdered dashi stock
2 eggs
375ml (1 1/2 cups) cold water

For the Filling:
500g finely shredded wombok
4 tablespoons Japanese pickled ginger
12 sea scallops, cut into small dice

For the Otafuku Sauce:
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water to make a cornflour slurry

For the Toppings:
Japanese Mayonnaise
Finely chopped spring onions
Finely shredded Japanese picked ginger

Make the Batter:
Put the flour, potato starch and dashi powder into a large bowl and mix to combine. Make a well in the centre, add the egg and dribble in a few tablespoons of water. Whisk the eggs and water, incorporating some of the flour mixture from the sides. Gradually add all of the water, whisking in more and more flour mixture from the edges until you have a lump-free batter. Set aside in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Make the Otafuku Sauce:
Put the Worcestershire sauce, honey and ketchup into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and add the cornflour slurry. Whisk until thickened and smooth then remove from the heat and stir in the ginger. Set aside to cool.

Make the Okonomiyaki:
Lay out four medium bowls. Divide the cabbage, diced sea scallop meat and shredded ginger among them. Ladle in the batter evenly over the vegetables and scallops. There will be about 1 cup of batter for each bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. (I used a cast iron skillet). Cooking one pancake at a time, spoon the mixture from the bowls into the pan and spread the pancake out to a 15cm circle. Fry on the first side for 6 - 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip the pancake. Use the tip a knife to poke holes in the top of the pancake to allow steam to escape and cook for a further 5 minutes on the second side, or until cooked through. Continue cooking the rest of the pancakes.

Slide the cooked pancakes onto a large plates, paint liberally with the Otafuku sauce, drizzle generously with Japanese mayonnaise and top with finely sliced spring onion and shredded Japanese ginger.