TAKOYAKI (Japan's Best Street Food)

By Brian Lagerstrom · 45 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Whisk or blend the takoyaki batter ingredients together until smooth.
2. Simmer the octopus in very salty water over medium-low heat for one hour, keeping the water just barely simmering and turning the octopus halfway through so it stays submerged.
3. Test with a cake tester or thin knife through a tentacle; it should meet very little resistance. If not, simmer for another 20 minutes or so.
4. Let the octopus cool so it firms up, or refrigerate for 30-45 minutes if in a hurry.
5. Cut off the head, press the beak out through the centre of the body, remove the tentacles and cut them into chunks about 1.5 cm.
6. Blend the Japanese BBQ sauce ingredients in a tall container until smooth.
7. Blend all the Kewpie mayo ingredients except the oil in a tall container, then drizzle in the oil slowly while blending, stopping at the top to mix in any oil left on the surface.
8. Preheat a takoyaki pan over medium heat and grease it with oil spray.
9. Fill each well almost to the rim with batter, keeping a little batter back.
10. Add scallions, pickled ginger, a pinch of bonito flakes and 2 pieces of octopus to each ball, then cook for about a minute until the base sets.
11. Use a chopstick to turn each ball 90 degrees, then cook 30-45 seconds and turn again, filling gaps with the reserved batter and tucking in pieces to form round balls.
12. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, then keep turning until they are evenly browned.
13. Serve topped with Kewpie mayo, Japanese BBQ sauce, extra scallions, bonito flakes and seaweed.
14. Without a takoyaki pan: pour the batter into large pancakes in a nonstick pan, add the toppings, and flip each pancake when the top bubbles, then cook until browned.

Summarized from Brian Lagerstrom's video. Watch it for the details.

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