Takoyaki
Osaka’s octopus balls, from “Japan’s kitchen”: a runny batter with pieces of octopus cooked in a griddle pan with round hollows, topped with sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed and dried bonito that “dances” in the heat.
Ingredients
- 150 g flour
- 2 eggs
- 500 ml cold dashi
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 150 g cooked octopus, diced
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- Pickled ginger (beni shoga), chopped
- Takoyaki or okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, aonori seaweed and bonito flakes
How to make it at home
- Whisk the flour with the eggs, dashi and soy sauce until you have a very runny batter.
- Heat the takoyaki pan and grease it well.
- Fill the hollows to the top with batter and put a piece of octopus, spring onion and ginger in each one.
- When the edges set, turn each ball 90° with a skewer, tucking the excess batter inside. Keep turning until they’re round and golden.
- Serve with sauce, mayonnaise, aonori and dried bonito.
The trick: You need the pan with hollows; you’ll find it in Asian shops.