Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancake)

Step 1

Slice the green cabbage into thin ribbons, about the thickness of a dime, moving the knife parallel to the cutting board. You should have roughly 3 cups of sliced cabbage.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water, and egg until the batter is smooth and thick like pancake batter, with no lumps visible. This should take about 1 minute of whisking.

Step 3

Add the sliced cabbage to the batter and stir with a wooden spoon until every piece of cabbage is coated with the flour mixture, about 30 seconds.

Step 4

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a 10-inch non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly across the pan, about 90 seconds.

Step 5

Scoop half of the cabbage batter into the hot skillet and use the back of a spatula to gently flatten it into a pancake roughly 0.5 inches thick, like a hockey puck shape.

Step 6

Cook without moving it until the bottom turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 4 to 5 minutes. Peek underneath with a spatula to check the color.

Step 7

Slide the spatula all the way underneath the okonomiyaki, then flip it in one quick motion so the cooked side is now facing up. If it falls apart, it's okay — just push it back together into a pancake shape.

Step 8

Cook the second side over medium heat until it is also golden brown and the cabbage inside feels tender when you press the edge with the spatula, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 9

Slide the cooked okonomiyaki onto a plate and repeat steps 5 through 8 with the remaining batter and the second tablespoon of olive oil.

Step 10

Drizzle the okonomiyaki sauce (or Worcestershire sauce) in a thin zigzag pattern across the top of each pancake, using about 1.5 tablespoons per pancake.

Step 11

Drizzle the Japanese mayonnaise in a second zigzag pattern across the sauce, using about 1 tablespoon per pancake, to create a crosshatch effect.