Osaka Octopus Takoyaki with Bonito Flakes

What you need

• 200 g (1 2/3 cups) plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 700 ml (3 cups) ice-cold water
• 1 tsp instant dashi powder
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 150 g (5 oz) boiled octopus
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 25 g (2/3 cup) tempura scraps (tenkasu)
• 2 tbsp red pickled ginger (beni shoga), finely chopped
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, for the pan
• takoyaki sauce, to serve
• Japanese mayonnaise, to serve
• aonori, dried green seaweed flakes, to serve
• bonito flakes (katsuobushi), to serve

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Cut the octopus into 1 cm (1/2 in) cubes.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Whisk in the water, dashi powder, soy sauce and salt.

3. 3

   Sift in the flour in three additions, stirring gently after each. Stop once no dry pockets remain; a few lumps are fine.

4. 4

   Heat a takoyaki pan over medium-high heat and wipe every hollow and the flat rim with oil using a folded paper towel.

5. 5

   Drop a little batter into one hollow. When it sizzles at once, the pan is ready.

6. 6

   Pour batter into all the hollows until full, letting it run over onto the rim a little.

7. 7

   Put a piece of octopus in each hollow, then scatter the pickled ginger, tempura scraps and spring onions over the whole pan.

8. 8

   Cook until the bottoms set and the edges look dry, 2-3 min.

9. 9

   Use a skewer to cut the batter along the hollow edges, then turn each ball 90 degrees, tucking the loose batter from the rim underneath.

10. 10

    Cook 1 min more, then turn each ball again so the raw side faces down and the sphere closes.

11. 11

    Keep turning every 30-60 seconds until the balls are round, crisp and evenly golden, 4-6 min in all.

12. 12

    Lift the balls onto a plate. Oil the pan again and repeat with the rest of the batter.

13. 13

    Brush the balls with takoyaki sauce and zigzag mayonnaise over them. Sprinkle with aonori and bonito flakes and serve hot.

Imported from souschef.co.uk. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.