Okonomiyaki - Japanese Pizza

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 sheet nori (seaweed, about 8x7 inches)
• 1/4 cup catsup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups cabbage, shredded (about 1 1/2 inch strips)
• 1/4 cup carrot, shredded (1 1/2 inch strips)
• 4 scallions, cut in half lengthwise and into 1-inch strips (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup shrimp, cooked or 1/2 cup crabmeat or 1/2 cup chicken, cooked or bacon, cooked, cut in 1/2-inch pieces (whatever meat you like)
• 4 teaspoons mayonnaise

Recipe

• 1 toast the nori by waving it over a flame until it stiffens slightly, but be careful--it burns easily. crumble into little pieces and set aside.
• 2 combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• 3 remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• 4 beat the eggs in a large bowl.
• 5 add the flour and water and continue beating until you have a batter the consistency of pancake batter.
• 6 add the sake and salt.
• 7 fold in the cabbage, carrots, and scallions. be sure to mix the batter and vegetables together evenly. each okonomiyaki will use 1/4 of this mixture.
• 8 heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a standard 10-inch skillet. spoon 1/4 of the batter onto the hot skillet (like a pancake) making sure the vegetables are evenly distributed.
• 9 then sprinkle 1/4 of the shrimp or meat of you choice on top.
• 10 cook each side on medium heat for 2 minutes, until lightly browned. reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, occasionally turning and gently pressing the okonomiyaki with a spatula.
• 11 prepare three more okonomiyaki as above. keep the finished pancakes warm in a low oven while making the rest, or use two skillets and make two okonomiyaki at a time.
• 12 serve hot with the sauce to taste--i recommend 1 tbsp. per okonomiyaki-- and top with about a tsp. of mayonnaise and a sprinkling of toasted nori.