Mentai Mochi Cheese Monjayaki (明太もちチーズもんじゃ)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Tabletop teppan, or a wide cast-iron skillet
• •Two small metal monja spatulas, or two short flat spatulas
• •Mixing bowl
• •Ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the batter

   Whisk the flour with a few spoonfuls of cooled dashi until smooth, then whisk in the remaining dashi, chūnō sauce, and soy sauce. The batter should look far too thin, closer to seasoned stock than pancake batter. That looseness is correct. It lets the cabbage and starch thicken on the plate instead of making a heavy cake.

2. 2

   Prepare the fillings

   Put the chopped cabbage in a bowl and set the mentaiko, mochi cubes, cheese, tenkasu, and scallion beside it. Remove the mentaiko from its membrane so it can season the whole dish instead of sitting in one salty lump. Cut the mochi small enough to soften quickly, because large pieces stay hard in the center while the batter overcooks.

3. 3

   Cook the cabbage

   Heat a tabletop griddle or wide cast-iron pan over medium heat and oil it lightly. Add the cabbage, mentaiko, mochi, tenkasu, and scallion, leaving the batter in the bowl. Chop and turn the mixture with spatulas for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cabbage softens and the mentaiko turns pale pink. Cooking the filling first drives off raw cabbage harshness and gives the mochi a head start.

4. 4

   Build the bank

   Gather the cooked filling into a low ring about 8 inches across, with a clear well in the center. Press the ring firmly so there are no gaps. This is the small piece of discipline in a disorderly dish: the cabbage wall holds the batter in place while it thickens.

5. 5

   Pour and thicken

   Stir the batter once, then pour it into the center of the ring in two additions. Let the first pour thicken for a minute before adding the rest if your wall looks delicate. When the center turns glossy and lightly thickened, fold the cabbage wall inward and spread everything into a thin oval. Thin is better here. More surface means more crisp edge.

6. 6

   Melt the cheese

   Scatter the cheese over the surface and let it melt into the batter without stirring hard. Scrape the edges inward now and then so the bottom browns in patches but does not burn. The monja is ready when the surface is glossy, the edges cling to the plate, and the mochi stretches when lifted.

7. 7

   Scrape and eat

   Finish with a light dusting of aonori if using. Eat straight from the griddle with small metal spatulas, pressing each bite briefly against the hot surface before lifting it. That last scrape gives you the crisp bottom, which is half the reason everyone at the table has stopped pretending to be polite.

Chef Tips

• •Use mentaiko that tastes clean and briny, not fishy. If the roe smells tired, choose another filling that day. Nothing hidden under sauce, especially here.
• •A tabletop teppan is the usual tool. A wide cast-iron skillet works well at home, but keep the heat moderate so the batter thickens before the bottom scorches.
• •Do not make the batter thick to feel safer. Thick batter turns this into something closer to okonomiyaki, and monjayaki lives in that loose, glossy middle.
• •Kirimochi is the right mochi here because it softens slowly and pulls in chewy threads. Fresh soft mochi can melt too quickly and disappear into the batter.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Cool it before mixing the batter so the flour disperses cleanly.
• •The cabbage can be chopped a few hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Do not salt it early, or it will shed water and weaken the batter.
• •Cut the mochi shortly before cooking. Once cut, the small cubes dry quickly at the edges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)