Takoyaki

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups dashi stock, cooled
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 6 oz cooked octopus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp pickled red ginger, chopped
• Vegetable oil, for greasing the pan
• Takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and aonori seaweed, for topping

Before you cook

• Cut the cooked octopus into 1/2-inch pieces and pat it dry.
• Finely chop the scallions and pickled ginger.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Whisk the eggs, dashi, and soy sauce together in a separate bowl, then whisk into the dry ingredients until smooth.

Steps

1. Heat a takoyaki pan over medium heat and brush every well generously with oil.
2. Pour the batter into each well until it fills and slightly overflows onto the surface of the pan.
3. Drop a piece of octopus, a pinch of scallion, and a pinch of pickled ginger into each well.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the batter around the edges begins to set.
5. Use a skewer to rotate each ball 90 degrees, tucking the runny batter back into the well.
6. Continue rotating each ball every minute, reshaping it into a sphere, for about 8 minutes total.
7. Cook until the balls are deep golden brown and cooked through on all sides.
8. Transfer the takoyaki to a plate.
9. Drizzle the takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise over the top.
10. Sprinkle with bonito flakes and aonori seaweed, and serve immediately while the bonito flakes flutter from the heat.