4

1 (300gm) boneless pork

chop, about 3cm thick,

at room temperature

1 tsp flaky sea salt

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp tomato sauce

200 gm (1⅓ cups) udon flour

(see note) or unbleached

pastry flour

300 gm (about ¼ small) green

cabbage, finely shredded

3 fat spring onions, finely

chopped

4 tbsp small dried shrimp

(see note)

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise

(optional; see note)

1 tbsp aonori (powdered

green nori; see note)

2 tbsp red pickled ginger, cut

into fine julienne

2 handfuls freshly shaved

katsuobushi (bonito flakes;

see note) or hanakatsuo

1 Sprinkle pork with ½ tsp

sea salt flakes. In a small, heavy

frying pan, stand the pork up,

fat-side down, while holding

it upright with a pair of tongs,

and sear over high heat for

30 seconds to render the fat.

Lay the chop down and sear

for 1 minute on both sides. Cover

and cook over medium heat for

30 seconds more on each side.

Transfer to a cutting board and

rest for 5 minutes, then cut into

fine “sticks” or lardons.

2 Stir Worcestershire and

tomato sauce together in a small

bowl and set aside until needed.

3 Whisk flour and ½ tsp sea salt

flakes in a bowl, then add pork,

cabbage, negi, shrimp, and

eggs. With a pair of saibashi

(cooking chopsticks), slowly mix

in 125ml water to form a loose,

chunky batter.

Okonomiyaki

MAKES 2 LARGE PANCAKES // PREP 20 MINS // COOK 25 MINS

“There are myriad regional variations of these jam-packed

pancakes, most popular in the area around Osaka and Hiroshima,”

says Singleton Hachisu. “Prepare for a casual family meal, or have

a make-your-own party using a portable tabletop burner. Feel free

to omit or substitute the pork or dried shrimp.”Pictured p133.

4 Heat 2 large lightweight

frying pans over medium-low

heat. Once you can feel

the heat rising from the pans,

add 1 tbsp canola oil to each

pan. Ladle half the batter into

each pan, smearing it around

in a circular motion to evenly

distribute the ingredients across

the surface of the pan, then

cover and cook slowly until the

edges have dried a little and

the pancake is golden brown

on the bottom (6-8 minutes).

(Steam will accumulate on the

inside of the lid, so take care

to wipe the water droplets of

every once in a while.)

5 Invert a large dinner plate

over a pan and, wearing oven

mitts, flip the pan upside-down

so the pancake is on the plate,

then slide the pancake back

into the pan. Repeat with the

second pancake. Cook both

pancakes over medium heat

until cooked through and

the bottom is lightly browned

(3-4 minutes).

6 Slide each okonomiyaki

onto a large clean plate. Smear

each with 2 tbsp Worcestershire

and tomato sauce mixture (this

takes the place of okonomiyaki

sauce), squeeze a little

mayonnaise over the top in a

crosshatch or a wiggly pattern,

sprinkle with aonori, ginger,

and a handful of katsuobushi.

Cut into wedges to serve.

NoteUdon flour, aonori and

bonito flakes are available from

Japanese grocers. Small dried

shrimp are available from Thai

grocers. Japanese mayonnaise

is available from Asian grocers

and select supermarkets

(Singleton Hachisu recommends

Matsuda brand or a high-quality

French mayonnaise).➤

10 cm square (5gm-7gm)

konbu (see note)

1 handful (about 5gm)

freshly shaved katsuobushi

(bonito flakes; see note) or

hanakatsuo

1 Place konbu in a small
saucepan and add 500ml cold
water. Bring to a near simmer
over medium-high heat. Remove
the konbu, drop in katsuobushi
and simmer gently over low heat
for about 8 minutes. Remove
from the heat and steep for 8
minutes. Strain the dashi through
a wire mesh sieve before using.

NoteFor a variation, soak konbu

in a small saucepan with 500ml

cold water for 1 hour. Heat slowly

over low heat until small bubbles

appear on base of pan. Remove

konbu and increase heat to

medium. Bring the water to a

simmer and remove from the

heat. Stir in 3 small handfuls of

(15gm) katsuobushi and steep

for 2 minutes. Strain through a

sieve lined with muslin and let

sit for 1 minute before using.

Bonito flakes and konbu

are available from Asian

supermarkets and grocers.

Katsuobushi dashi

MAKES 300ML // PREP 10 MINS // COOK 10 MINS

“This method for making dashi yields a highly flavoured
broth that holds up to the artisanal seasonings and seasonal
vegetables recommended in this book,” says Singleton Hachisu.
“For a lighter version, shared by Sakai Shoten, an artisanal
katsuobushi producer in Kagoshima prefecture, see the variation.
The dashi will lose a little brightness over time, but nonetheless
any unused portion can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.”