Akashi-yaki (明石焼き, dashi-dipped octopus dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Akashi-yaki pan or copper takoyaki pan, with cast-iron or electric takoyaki pan as a stand-in
• •Two bamboo skewers or slender turning picks
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Pitcher or spouted measuring cup for the batter
• •Oil brush or folded paper towel
• •Small wooden serving board or shallow stoneware plate

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That pale bloom on the surface is flavor, not dirt. Put the konbu in the cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten to twelve minutes. Lift it out when the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides, before the boil rolls. Boil the kelp and the stock turns faintly bitter and slick, which is a poor trade for impatience.

2. 2

   Steep the flakes

   Bring the water to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and take the pot off the heat. Leave it alone until the flakes sink, two or three minutes. Strain through a cloth or fine sieve and let it drip by itself. Don't squeeze. Squeezing presses out the strong, oily flavors that cloud the clear stock you were guarding.

   Reserve 2 cups of dashi for the batter and cool it completely. Warm dashi tightens the egg before it reaches the pan.
3. 3

   Season the dip

   Combine 2 cups dashi, usukuchi shōyu, mirin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small pot. Warm it gently just long enough to take the raw edge off the mirin, then taste. It should be clear, savory, and lightly salted, because the balls themselves are mild. Keep it warm and add the mitsuba or scallion just before serving.

4. 4

   Cut the octopus

   Dice the cooked octopus into pieces about 1/2 inch across and pat them dry. Too large, and they tear the soft balls as you turn them. Too wet, and they spit oil and loosen the batter. If the octopus smells strong or looks dull and dry, change the dish. Akashi-yaki has no heavy sauce to hide a tired ingredient.

5. 5

   Mix the batter

   Whisk the eggs gently in a bowl, just until the yolks and whites are one color. Whisk in the 2 cups cooled dashi. Sift in the flour, wheat starch, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then whisk only until smooth and strain into a pitcher or spouted cup. The batter should be thin, closer to light cream than pancake batter. The egg and dashi give the soft set; the starch keeps the texture tender without making it bready.

6. 6

   Heat the pan

   Set an Akashi-yaki pan or takoyaki pan over steady medium heat and brush each well with a thin film of oil. Copper is the old tool because it responds quickly, but cast iron or an electric pan works if you let it heat evenly. Drop in a spoonful of batter to test: it should murmur and set at the edge, not darken at once.

7. 7

   Fill and turn

   Fill the wells nearly to the rim with batter, then put one piece of octopus in each. When the edges hold and the underside is pale gold, use two bamboo skewers to loosen and turn each ball a quarter turn. Turn again as the new edge sets, coaxing the batter into a round shape. If a ball has a gap, spoon in a little more batter and keep turning. Stop when the outside is set and the center still gives softly, usually three to five minutes.

8. 8

   Serve with dashi

   Lift the Akashi-yaki onto a small board or shallow plate. They are softer than takoyaki, so be gentle and forgive one imperfect sphere. Set a bowl of the warm dipping dashi beside each serving. Dip one ball briefly, eat, and continue. A long soak makes it fall apart, and the point is the meeting of egg, octopus, and clear broth in one bite.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for cooked octopus that was boiled gently and recently, with a clean smell and a moist cut face. In Akashi, mādako from the fast Inland Sea tides is the pride of the dish; at home, the honest standard is freshness and tenderness, not a famous label.
• •Don't reach for powder when the dashi is half the dish. A sensible stand-in has its place, but here the dipping broth is where the dish speaks most plainly.
• •Wheat starch, sold as ukiko or jinko, gives the old Akashi softness. Potato starch is a useful stand-in, but it is a stand-in. It will still make a tender ball if your dashi and heat are right.
• •Keep the pan paler than your takoyaki instincts want. Browning means the heat is getting ahead of the custard, and Akashi-yaki should be soft enough to dip without apology.
• •Serve in small batches. Seven balls on a board look better than a crowded heap, and they stay tender while each person eats them with the broth. Leave it room.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Cool the portion for batter completely before mixing, and warm the dipping portion gently before serving.
• •The dipping dashi can be seasoned a day ahead. Add mitsuba or scallion only at the end so the green stays clean.
• •The batter can be mixed and strained up to 2 hours ahead, then refrigerated. Stir it gently before cooking because the starch settles.
• •Dice the octopus up to one day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Pat it dry again before it goes into the pan.
• •Cooked Akashi-yaki is best served as soon as it leaves the pan. Holding it for long turns the custard heavy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)