Takoyaki たこ焼

David made this Osaka Japanese street food called "Takoyaki", Sarah's favorite Japanese dish for the first time and it was out of this world. He got the recipe from www.justonecookbook.com by Namiko Chen.

Takoyaki, or Grilled Octopus Balls, are one of Japan’s best-known street food that originated in Osaka.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

• 2 green onions/scallions

• 1 Tbsp pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga)

• 4.2 oz octopus sashimi (boiled octopus) (you can find cooked octopus in Japanese grocery stores; substitute with sausage, corn, edamame, cheese, small mochi pieces…the choices are endless!)

• 2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)

• ⅓ cup tenkasu/agedama (tempura scraps)

For the Takoyaki Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)

• 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more)

For the Toppings

• ½ cup Takoyaki Sauce (homemade or store bought) (or use tonkatsu sauce)

• Japanese mayonnaise

• katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

• aonori (dried green laver seaweed)

• pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga)

INSTRUCTIONS

To Prepare the Filling

• Grind the katsuobushi (bonito flakes) into a fine powder. Set aside; we'll use this powder when we're cooking the takoyaki.

• Cut the green onions into fine slices and mince the red pickled ginger.

• Cut the octopus into ½ inch (1.3 cm) bite-sized pieces, use the "rangiri" cutting technique

To Make the Takoyaki Batter

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt and whisk it all together.

• Add the eggs, soy sauce, and dashi.

• Whisk it all together until well blended and transfer the batter to a measuring cup with a handle (or any other pitcher with a spout for easy pouring.)

To Cook the Takoyaki

• Heat the takoyaki pan to 400ºF (200ºC) over medium heat. Using a brush, generously oil the pan's rounded chambers and flat surface on top. When you see smoke rising from the pan, pour the batter to fill the chambers. It’s okay to slightly overfill the cavities with the batter. In the next steps, the batter will likely overflow as you add more ingredients to it.

• Add 1-3 octopus pieces, depending on their size, to each chamber and sprinkle on top the katsuobushi powder that you ground earlier.

• Sprinkle the tenkasu, green onion, and pickled red ginger on top. After 3 minutes or so, when the batter on the bottom of the balls has set and is slightly crisp, use skewers to break the connected batter between each ball. Then, rotate each piece 90 degrees (a quarter turn) toward the bottom of the pan, stuffing the connected dough back into the ball as you turn to help form a ball shape. The uncooked batter will flow out from inside each takoyaki to create another side of the ball. After you finish turning them, set a timer for 4 minutes.

• Next, rotate them a second time, starting again with the first ball: Turn each takoyaki another 90 degrees toward the bottom of the pan so the remaining uncooked batter pours out into the chamber to complete the ball shape. Home takoyaki griddles don't distribute heat evenly, so it’s a good idea to swap the balls around to different chambers so they brown evenly. After turning and cooking for 4 minutes, they are done.

To Serve

• Transfer them onto a plate and drizzle the takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise on top. Finish the dish with a sprinkling of katsuobushi and dried green seaweed and a side of pickled red ginger. Serve immediately (but be careful—they're VERY hot inside!)

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.