First of all, thanks to Megan for requesting this recipe! If you want me to make a recipe from your favorite anime, let me know in the comments below. 🙂
Now, onto the recipe….
Okonomiyaki is a really strange, seemingly complicated dish that is actually surprisingly easy to make. Traditionally, it is made right in front of you on a griddle and you eat it straight off the table-top stove. But, this is also a delicious meal you can make for yourself at home!
There are two kinds of Okonomiyaki.
1) Kansai/ Osaka style: This style mixes all ingredients into the batter and adds additional toppings, like mayo and sauce, on top.
2)Hiroshima style: This is a layered style, with the batter on the bottom and each layer added individually on top.
So what kind of Okonimiyaki does Sanji make?! Well, he kind of combines the 2 styles into a completely new type of Okonomiyaki: MODAN YAKI!!! (read: Modern Yaki).
The Ingredients
Not pictured: Mayonnaise, Sake
This makes enough for 1 Okonomiyaki, which will feed 2 people or 1 very hungry person.
4 tbs flour
6tbs water
1/8 portion of whole cabbage, shredded
1 slice bacon
1 package fresh yakisoba noodles
Okonomiyaki sauce
1 egg
salt and pepper
Sake
Mayonnaise
Bonito flakes
Note on the ingredients: Sanji uses tako, or octopus, in his batter. I couldn’t find octopus, so I had to omit it. However, if you can find octopus and want to stay true to the anime, add in a few pieces of cooked octopus to the batter. Also, okonomiyaki is a very slap-dash, easy kind of recipe. You can adjust these measurements to your liking. It will all taste great in the end.
Note on tools: 2 spatula flippers are helpful for this recipe. One and a fork will do in a pinch.
Making the Modan Yaki
First, mix your water and flour to make the batter. Set aside while you chop the cabbage.
Prep your pan by oiling the surface and heating it to a medium heat. You will be doing a lot of flipping, so you want to make sure nothing will stick! A non-stick pan will help a lot here.
Next, mix the cabbage with the batter. If you’re following the anime version as closely as possible, add the octopus here, too. Then, spread the combination out into a circle, and sprinkle with salt.
Let this cook for about 4-5 minutes. After a few minutes, ease your flipping spatulas around the circumference of your pancake to make sure nothing is sticking. Layer the bacon slice, cut in half, on top, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Then, flip the whole thing over to cook the bacon, and scoot over to one side to make room for your noodles. Reshape your circle if any spare pieces tumbled out. Throw your noodles on the grill! Loosen them up with a few dashes of sake, and use your spatula to break them up and get them moving around.
When the noodles have loosened up, squirt a dollop of okonomiyaki sauce in and mix it until all the noodles are coated.
Once the bacon is finished cooking, after about 5 minutes, transfer the pancake on top of your circle of noodles.
In the free space, clean up any little bits and re-oil to prevent sticking. Crack your egg into the pan, and break the yolk, mixing it around a bit. Do your best to maintain a round shape. Allow to cook for 1 minute.
Then, transfer the noodle-pancake directly on top of the egg.
Re-shape into a circle if necessary. Then comes the big flip…take your flippers and turn the whole thing completely over.
Squirt sauce on top to completely cover it! Then, place toppings. Sanji uses mayo and bonito flakes.
Though there’s a lot of flipping, which can be scary, this was actually a cinch to make.
And that’s it! Hope you enjoy the recipe and are able to try it out. Sanji had the right idea, this thing was DELICIOUS. Leave comments below, and give me a recommendation if you have one! Have a great day 🙂
BONUS ROUND:
