Bacon Okonomiyaki Recipes

JAPANESE OKONOMIYAKI

Steps:

• Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until slightly crispy. Remove to paper towels to drain and set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the water and eggs. Gradually stir in the flour and salt until smooth. Add the cabbage and ginger; stir until evenly distributed.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 of the batter into the center of the skillet. Place 4 slices of cooked bacon in the center. Use a spatula to shape the pancake into a circle. Fry for about 5 minutes or until the edges are dry. Flip and cook on the other side until the center is stable and it is browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and drizzle with tonkatsu sauce to serve. Continue with remaining batter and bacon.

CLASSIC OKONOMIYAKI (JAPANESE CABBAGE AND PORK PANCAKES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine hondashi with 1 cup water and whisk until dissolved. Whisk in eggs until well combined. Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and whisk until smooth. Fold in cabbage, scallions and ginger until well incorporated.
• In an 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add half the batter, spreading cabbage mixture into an even 6-inch round about 1-inch thick (resist the urge to push down on the mixture). Arrange half the pork belly over the cabbage, slightly overlapping. Cook over medium-low until pancake is set and golden brown underneath, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and carefully flip pancake by inverting onto a plate then slipping back into the skillet.
• Cook until golden brown on second side, pancake is cooked through in center and pork is lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer pancake, pork side up, onto a large plate. Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining oil, batter and pork belly.
• Drizzle pancakes with okonomi sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise, then top with a handful of shaved bonito and nori. Serve warm.

BACON OKONOMIYAKI

Steps:

• Mix eggs, water, flour, soy sauce, baking powder, and salt together to make the batter.
• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to the batter. Cook cabbage in the same pan until slightly wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Add to the batter.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook soba in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender yet firm to the bite, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and cut noodles into shorter pieces; add to the batter.
• Heat a flat frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook 1/4 cup of bacon until starting to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Arrange it in a small circle in the middle of the pan; add 1 cup of the batter. Cook until brown and crispy, flipping pancake halfway and pressing down with a spatula, about 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining bacon and pancake batter.

OKONOMIYAKI

Steps:

• Combine the cabbage, carrot, and green onions in a large bowl and toss together.
• In another bowl whisk together the flour, eggs, dashi, salt, and pepper.
• Pour the egg mixture over cabbage mixture and stir together until vegetables are completely and evenly coated.
• Fold shrimp into batter.
• Heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Swirling pan so entire surface is covered in oil.
• When the oil is hot, pour the entire mixture into pan and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the pancake is mostly set.
• Carefully flip the pancake and cook for 4 to 6 minutes longer, until golden brown and fully set.
• Transfer the pancake to a large plate and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Finish pancake with a drizzle of okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie or mayonnaise and a sprinkle of furikake and bonito flakes, if using.
• Cut into wedges and serve.

AUTHENTIC OKONOMIYAKI (JAPANESE CABBAGE PANCAKES)

Steps:

• If you are making your own okonomiyaki sauce, heat the ingredients in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves, stirring. Set aside. Make your dashi, if using.
• Put all the okonomiyaki ingredients except the bacon in a large bowl and mix well.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add half of the oil. When the oil shimmers and a drop of batter sizzles, ladle about 1/4 of the batter into the skillet, shaping into a large, thick pancake. Layer several pieces of bacon on top.
• Cook over medium-low until the pancake is browned and set on one side. Do not rush; this will take around 7 or 8 minutes. Flip, and cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.PRO TIP: To help flip the pancake, you can always invert the pancake onto a plate, then slide it back onto the skillet.
• Serve, second side up, with okonomiyaki sauce, a drizzle of Kewpie mayonnaise, the nori, and bonito flakes.TIP: Kewpie mayonnaise is from Japan, but is easily available online and in specialty markets. The taste is better and richer than regular mayo because it is made from yolks only.