Osaka-style Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is commonly known to be Japanese-style pizza. This recipe makes Osaka-style okonomiyaki with lots of toppings. Instead of using all-purpose flour, I used whole wheat. This may explain the browner than usual color of my okonomiyaki. I found there were too much eggs and had to strain off the excess. I also replaced green onions with leeks. Instead of using pork or beef as the recipe calls for, I added scallops.

Kew Pie mayonnaise has to be one of the best. I once tried to make it and it was absolutely disastrous. I never thought of making mayonnaise again since then. I wish they would translate the many different Kew Pie on the shelf, not just to Thai but to English, or maybe Chinese or Malay....some form that I can comprehend.... I ended up picking one that was sold at the most number of bottles than others. They must have figured higher demand requires higher supply?
I like to watch bonito flakes. They seem so alive, moving in a worm-like motion. I used to think they were live anyway.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup dashi soup stock or water
• 4-6 eggs
• 1 - 1 1/4 lb cabbage
• chopped scallops
  
• 6 tbsps chopped green onion
• 2/3 cup tenkasu (tempura flakes)

• For toppings:
• Ao-nori (green seaweed)
• Okonomiyaki sauce (or tonkatsu sauce)
• Japanese Mayonnaise (Kew Pie)
• Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
  

1. Put dashi soup stock in a bowl. Mix the flour in the soup stock. Rest the batter for an hour in the refrigerator.
   
2. Chop cabbage finely. Take about 1/2 cup of the batter (to make one sheet of okonimiyaki) in another bowl. Mix chopped cabbage (about 1/4 cup), chopped green onion (about 1 tbsp), and tempura flakes (about 2 tbsps) in the batter. Make a hole in the middle of the batter and add an egg in the hole. Stir the batter.
   
3. Heat pan and oil slightly. Pour the batter over the pan and make a round. Cook 5-7 minutes and place scallops on top of the okonomiyaki. Flip the okonomiyaki and cook for 5-7 more minutes.
   
4. Flip the okonomiyaki again and spread okonomiyaki (tonkatsu) sauce and mayonnaise on top. Sprinkle aonori over the sauce. Sprinkle with katsuobushi.
   

Japanese Egg Custard - Chawan Mushi

I always like chawan mushi. Unfortunately they almost always come with pork or chicken. And because they are usually pre-mixed in advance, it makes it "impossible" to serve without meat. But now that I know the inside-out of chawan mushi, I could probably tell the waiter to inform the cook to simply pick out the meat before it's put to steamed.

I found the recipe from New York Times. True-hearted Japanese may jump and call foul but believe me this Japanese recipe by the American called Mark Bittman does work. I got a "the best chawan mushi" from Adrian. The original recipe uses watercress of which I omitted. I also added stir-fry shiitake mushroom with garlic. I found myself having little guilty pleasure with the garlic - as though I had found a secret staved away in a treasure trove.

Ingredients

(makes 2)

• 2 sea scallops, quartered
  
• 1 tablespoon of chopped shallot
  
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup shiitake mushroom (caps only), sliced
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 3/4 cups dashi soup
  
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Divide scallops and shallots among 2 ramekins. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Beat eggs lightly, and combine with dashi soup, and soy sauce.
2. Sautee mushroom and garlic. Stir into eggs mixture.
3. Put ramekins in flameproof baking pan or skillet, and fill with egg mixture. Add boiling water to pan to about halfway up sides of ramekins, and turn heat to high. When water returns to boil, turn heat to low and cover pan tightly.
4. Simmer 15 minutes, then check. Custards are done when set and no longer watery but still quite jiggly. Remove ramekins from water immediately. Serve hot or at room temperature.