ENTERTAINING – JAPANESE STYLE

Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Fritters – Kansai Style.

A Japanese Family Feast

This is a common dish from Japan that is sold at markets and fairs, much like our hotdogs. It is also a festive food served at home at family gatherings or special meals together. The Japanese make it on a hot plate in the centre of the table. There are many restaurants dedicated to this dish, as common as our fish and chip shops. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my family in Australia love it too! We make it on the BBQ and all gather around outside for a slow lunch. We always allow 2 hours of eating and drinking and share it one piece at a time over friendly conversation and warm laughter. I can make up to 6 large fritters (the size of a dinner plate) at one time on the two hot plates – I have a big family.  Surprisingly, they can eat almost 2 each!

The Big Party: to feed about 12-15 people. Makes 16 large patties. Ingredients: 1 large cabbage, 1 bunch shallots (spring onion), 500g cooked prawns, 500g fatty bacon, 16 eggs, 1 pkt Japanese finely chopped pink pickled ginger, 2 bottles of kewpie mayonnaise (or any whole egg mayonnaise), Optional:  ½ cup finely chopped seaweed, 1 pkt bonito flakes. Sauce: 1 cup Bulldog tonkatsu sauce (or a thick brown sauce eg: HP), ½ cup tomato ketchup, 2 tbsps worchestershire sauce, 1 tbsp French mustard. Batter: 1 peeled raw potato, 4 cups plain flour, 3-4 cups of water or fish stock. Slice up one whole cabbage thinly. Chop spring onion finely. Mix through cabbage and set aside in a large bowl. Peel prawns and chop bacon rashers in thirds, and remove the rind, set aside. Prepare the sauce. Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until mustard disappears. Finely grate the potato, or mash in a food processor. Set aside. Mix the batter ingredients in a large bowl. Add the potato (and juices) and ginger. Add water gradually until it resembles a thin batter ready to pour. Have all the ingredients ready next to the grill. Make each fritter individually. Place a large handful of the cabbage, shallot mix into a small bowl. Pour batter over to coat (about two ladle’s full) and mix well, keep adding until a little batter runs to the bottom of the bowl. Add one egg and mix again. Add 5-6 prawns and stir. On the hot plate fry 3-4 strips of bacon on one side. Turn over and place them close together on the pan. Pour the okonomiyaki mixture on top and use a spatula to form a round shape. Turn BBQ heat to medium. Cook for 5 mins, until the surface is well browned.  Using two firm spatulas flip the patty. Reform the patty again using the spatula to keep it round. Press down on the top and leave to cook a further 5-10 mins, until cooked through. Flip again. Using a basting brush, spread the sauce over the top generously. Squeeze mayonnaise over the top. Optional: sprinkle finely chopped seaweed and bonito flakes over the top to finish. Cut the patty into 4 or 6 triangles. For large parties people take a slice at a time, but for smaller groups people can request their own okonomiyaki and make them individually.

I find it easier to make a large batch of the batter to start, but to mix the individual fritters in a separate bowl one at a time before pouring onto the hot plate. This ensures you have one egg per fritter and makes a nicer consistency. You will need lots of eggs and finely sliced cabbage! 

I cook the bacon first on one side,
then turn the bacon and pour the cabbage
batter on top. 

Flipping the patties

Smaller Quantities: Ingredients for 4 patties:

¼ cabbage, sliced thinly, 3 shallots, 1 cup cooked prawns, 4 rashers bacon, 4 eggs, 1 pkt Japanese finely chopped pink pickled ginger, 1 bottle kewpie mayonnaise.

½ peeled raw potato, 1 cup plain flour, 1-2 cups water.

Sauce ingredients remain the same.

I close the lid of the BBQ and wait
for the patties to cook through.

Cooked and ready to have the sauce put on

Tips: To make the pretty pattern of mayonnaise over the top, poke a hole in the mayonnaise lid with a nail. Squeeze the mayonnaise through the lid using fast movements back and forth over the patty.

Using a Barbie-mate or pizza cutter to cut the patties on the BBQ makes it easier to serve.

Lifting onto the egg

 Hiroshima-Yaki.

Break the egg onto the hotplate and
mix around, lift the cabbage mixture
on top before the egg sets.

These photos are of a Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki. This is a popular version of the above, using the same ingredients. The only difference is that the ingredients aren't mixed together, they are layered. 
Spread the batter on the hot plate, then arrange the cabbage and fillings on top. Leave to cook until batter is browned. Break an egg onto the hot plate and mixed around with a spatula forming a circle. Flip the cabbage patty upside-down onto the egg before it sets. Leave to cook, then flip one last time to put sauce and mayonnaise on top. This needs a bit of skill and confidence in the flipping, but can be a lot of fun, if it spills everywhere, then just shape it back into a circle again :).

Inside the layered Hiroshima-yaki.

When layering the Hiroshima-yaki we often add noodles
that have been tossed in the sauce.

 Use any kind of seafood or thinly sliced beef or pork. Some people like chunks of cheese in theirs, or create your own ideas! 

Christmas Delights: Brandy Balls

My mother made these Brandy Balls every year at Christmas time as I was growing up. I love them because they are not just sweet, but rich in Brandy. I now make them every year as my own family tradition. I adapt the ingredients depending on what's at hand, and some years I have had to use dark Rum and currants. They turned out fine, but I prefer the Brandy and the sultanas.

Something I do for the kids, is replace the brandy with orange juice.  It becomes a Jaffa ball.
90g butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp cocoa
120g sugar
2-3 tbsps Brandy or Sherry
2 tsp vanilla
1 plain stale cake
1 cup sultanas (soak them in Brandy overnight)
1 cup coconut

In a saucepan mix the butter, sugar, egg, cocoa, Brandy and vanilla. Cook stirring constantly until thick - about 10 minutes.

 

Put the cake into a large bowl and break up into crumbs. Add the soaked sultanas and mix. Pour the butter/cocoa mixture over the dry goods and mix thoroughly. Roll into small balls then roll in coconut and leave to set. They will last a few weeks in a sealed container. Put them in the fridge on really hot humid days. If using orange juice instead of brandy, they will only last a couple of days.

Renee’s Sticky Brownie

These brownies have changed over time from a firm cake-brownie, to a sticky soft one. The family likes them slightly undercooked. A word of warning though, they are rich so small servings are recommended.

Ingredients:

375g  dark chocolate

200g milk chocolate

150g butter, chopped

2 eggs, beaten lightly

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup plain flour

½ cup self raising flour

Icing sugar to dust

Method;

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease and line the base of a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper.

In a large bowl sift the self raising flour and plain flour together.

Heat a large pot with 1-2 inches of water to boiling. In a smaller pot put the chocolate and butter. Once the water has boiled, turn off the heat. Place the smaller pot over the boiling water and start stirring the chocolate and butter until melted. Remove it from the heat frequently to prevent the chocolate becoming hard and grainy. If the chocolate is heated too quickly it will become pasty and not melt. Repeat this until all the chocolate is melted and blended with the butter. Remove from the heated pan and add the beaten egg and sugar. Mix well. Add the chocolate mix to the flour and fold it through. Once mixed pour into the pan and flatten out with the spatula. Bake  in the oven for 35-45 minutes. To test the brownie, shake the pan from side to side and watch the middle.  A little movement is good for a soft brownie. Too much movement means it is undercooked. (This will still set once cooled, but will be very rich). Cool the brownie in the pan. Cut once cooled. Remove the whole cooled brownie from the pan by lifting up the sides of the paper and chop on a cutting board. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Enjoy!

Tomato and Turmeric Basa

This dish is rich in flavour and has a Mediterranean touch. I used to make this as a soup with different kinds of seafood, but each time I made it, it would get thicker and thicker. Now I like it with the sauce reduced, and a nice piece of fish on top! I love using fresh herbs. In July/August, `Dill` is plentiful in the garden so I use it with everything, even my scrambled eggs!

Fish:

4 Basa fillets, skinned and boned

Celery Salt, enough to sprinkle over fish

Fresh dill and parsley, 3 or 4 sprigs

Salt and pepper

½ Lemon

Olive oil

Cut fish in half across to separate the tail end from the thick body. Set aside the tail end. Coat the thick half in celery salt, chopped dill and parsley and salt and pepper. Fry in oil in a frying pan and squeeze lemon over the top. Turn after 2-3 mins. Cook on a medium-low heat until cooked through. Set aside.

Sauce:

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, or 2 tsps minced garlic

1 can of whole tomatoes

1 tsp chicken stock powder

3-4 sprigs dill, parsley and thyme each

1 tbsp turmeric powder

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry onions in a heavy based pan.  Add 2 heaped tsps of garlic and stir. Once the fragrance is released, add the can of tomatoes, chicken stock, chopped fresh dill, parsley and thyme. Crush tomatoes with the end of the wooden spoon to break them up. Add ½ cup water and turmeric powder. Season with salt and pepper. Chop the tail end of the fish (from above) into small pieces. Add fish and reduce heat to low. Simmer until reduced to a runny sauce.

Pour into a bowl, then, place the cooked seasoned fish on top. 

Dill and Ginger Chicken Patties with Cabbage

Chicken Patties. Makes 8 patties

500g Chicken mince

3 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped or 2 tsps dried dill

1 tbsp chopped parsley or 2 tsp dried

1 tbsp chopped chives

1 tsp minced ginger

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1 egg, beaten

1 pinch of Celery Salt

Salt and pepper

Plain flour

Olive oil

Mayonnaise for garnish  (The Japanese mayonnaise works well from the squirt bottle for better design. Can be purchased at major supermarkets)

Cabbage

1 bag of cabbage salad mix

(or chop up thinly: ¼ wedge of cabbage, 1 carrot, 2 stalks of spring onion, 1 stalk celery)

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried

1tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried

1 tbsp butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Mix all Chicken patty ingredients except for the flour and the olive oil. Mix until consistency is pasty and sticky. Sprinkle flour on a plate. Coat hands in olive oil and, using a spoon, form patties from the Chicken mixture. Do not over handle as mixture will fall apart and stick to your hands. Place immediately on floured plate being careful not to touch the flour with your hands, or the chicken will stick to them. Once all patties are formed, sprinkle more flour over the top and place directly into a hot pan that has been lined with olive oil. Cook over a medium high heat until cooked through – about 15 mins.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cabbage mix and stir until coated. Add fresh herbs and butter. Stir fry for 2-3 mins until vegetables have wilted a little but are still crunchy.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide cabbage onto four plates. Arrange 2 patties each on top. Squeeze the mayonnaise over the top, or on the side as desired.