Okonomiyaki is a super delicious savory pancake hailing from Japan. Cabbage and flour are usually the base, with various proteins and vegetables incorporated.
The world is your oyster when it comes to filling ingredients. You just want to stay clear of components that have a high water content. When they release water, they will increase the odds that your pancake will be a broken mess when trying to flip.
The toppings of choice are usually kewpie mayonnaise, slivers of nori, bonito flakes and Bulldog sauce.
In this rendition I used Canada goose ham that was first smoked and then braised until falling apart. A great addition to this would be fresh shrimp that have been finely chopped.
SMOKED GOOSE OKONOMIYAKI
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup dashi
- 3 eggs plus 1 yolk, lightly beaten
- 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions
- 1/2 cup shredded cooked goose (or duck leg meat)
Smoked Goose Leg Ham
- 2 quarts water
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon pink salt (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves
Instructions
For the Okonomiyaki
- To a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs and dashi. Stir until just combined.
- Add the cabbage, scallions and meat. Fold to combine.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
- When the oil starts to shimmer and lightly smoke, add your batter.
- Cook the pancake until the edges start to crisp and the center starts to set.
- Turn the pancake over and cook until lightly browned and crispy.
- Top with nori, bonito flakes, kewpie mayonnaise and Bulldog sauce.
For the Smoked Goose Leg
- Heat brine and stir to dissolve salt, sugar and honey. Chill throughly in the fridge.
- Brine goose legs for 24 to 36 hours
- Rinse until cold water, dry and refrigerate for 12-24 hours uncovered.
- Smoke at 200 degrees F for 2 hours.
- Place the legs in a pot. Pour in just enough water to cover the legs. Slowly simmer until they are tender and almost falling apart when pierced with a fork.
NOTES
- Keep wet ingredients in check. Cabbage works well here, but avoid extra fillings that throw off a lot of water or the pancake will be harder to flip cleanly.
- Mix the batter just enough. Stir the eggs and dashi into the flour mixture until combined, then fold in the cabbage, scallions, and goose without overworking it.
- Start with a hot skillet. Heat the oil until it shimmers and just starts to smoke, then add the batter so the bottom sets and crisps faster.
- Flip when the center sets. Wait until the edges are crisp and the middle starts to firm up before turning it over.
- Brine the goose legs first. Chill the brine completely, then brine the legs for 24 to 36 hours before drying and smoking them.
- Dry the legs before smoking. Rinse them, dry them well, and refrigerate them uncovered for 12 to 24 hours so the smoke sticks better.
- Smoke, then simmer tender. Smoke the goose legs at 200 F for 2 hours, then simmer them in just enough water to cover until the meat is tender and nearly falling apart.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
