Okonomiyaki with Savoy Cabbage, Pork Belly, Mayonnaise and Kombu Dashi

Cooking time: 02:00

Preparation of Kombu Dashi:

• Pour 3 litres of cold water into a large pot and add the kombu seaweed.
• Heat the water to about 60°C and let the seaweed steep for around 1 hour.
• Remove the seaweed and season the dashi with salt, a dash of light soy sauce, and a splash of sake to taste.

Tip:

Once the Dashi has cooled down, it can be frozen in portions like any other broth and is always at hand when needed.

Preparation of Okonomiyaki

• Whisk together the flour, dashi, and eggs until smooth. Let the batter sit to thicken slightly, ideally at a cool room temperature or in a cooler spot in your kitchen, instead of chilling it in the refrigerator.
• Trim the outer leaves from the savoy cabbage, remove the core, and thinly slice or shred the cabbage. Combine with the batter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Clean, wash, and slice the spring onions diagonally into roughly 5 mm thick rings.
• Heat a medium-sized pan over medium heat, lightly oil it, and place two slices of pork belly in it. Alternatively, the pork belly can be seared on a griddle.
• Scatter a quarter of the spring onions in the pan, then ladle a quarter of the cabbage batter over the top, similar to preparing an omelette.
• Fry until the top of the batter is just set, about 6 to 8 minutes, being careful not to let the pork belly or onions char by keeping the heat moderate.
• Gently flip the okonomiyaki and cook until done. Keep it warm while you repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
• Just before serving, dress the Okonomiyaki with Japanese mayonnaise and Okonomiyaki sauce, sprinkle with aonori and Beni Shoga, and, if you like, a touch of Hichimi for some spice.
• Finish with a generous topping of Bonito flakes.

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