Takoyaki
Takoyaki: Osaka's octopus balls, crisp outside and molten within. The secret lies in plenty of dashi and a spinning pick. Learn the street-stall technique.
35 min
Medium
Japonesa
3 servings
The story behind
At street stalls in Osaka, takoyaki is made by spinning balls of batter with a metal pick until they turn golden outside and stay almost molten within, and that sleight of hand is the dish's whole soul. It was born in 1930s Osaka, credited to a vendor named Tomekichi Endo, and the city has claimed it as a banner of its street-food culture ever since. The name joins "tako" (octopus) and "yaki" (grilled), because the heart of every ball is a cube of cooked octopus. The technique lives in a cast-iron pan of half-sphere molds and in dashi stock. The batter carries a great deal of cold dashi, which leaves it deliberately thin and runny: that excess liquid is exactly what creates the creamy, barely-set center against the crisp shell. You pour the batter to overflow the molds, drop in octopus and scallion, then use the pick to fold and turn each ball, tucking the fillings inside as the sphere forms. Fresh off the pan, they're crowned with sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes that flutter in the rising heat. Mind the first bite: the inside holds scalding steam.
Instructions
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1In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, and dashi stock until you have a thin, lump-free batter.
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2Heat a special takoyaki pan and grease each mold generously.
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3Pour the batter into the molds until they slightly overflow.
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4Place a piece of octopus and some green onions in the center of each mold.
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5Use skewers or picks to turn the balls 90 degrees as they cook, pushing the excess batter inside to form a perfect sphere.
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6Continue turning until they are evenly golden brown and crispy on the outside.
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7Serve six pieces on a plate and drizzle with streaks of takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise.
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8Sprinkle with aonori and top with a generous amount of bonito flakes to achieve the final look from the image.
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