Okonomiyaki Tater Tots
Okonomiyaki, the Japanese cabbage pancake, always brings back memories of late-night meals at street stalls in Tokyo. This recipe uses the same flavors as okonomiyaki, but instead of cabbage, I use oven-baked tater tots as my base—their centers are tender enough to be reminiscent of the original, but their outsides are lovely and crunchy. Then I pile on all my favorite okonomiyaki toppings: sweet-savory sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, fresh scallion, and katsuobushi (thinly shaved bonito flakes). The result is fast and easy enough to make any night of the week.To bulk up the plate: If you want a really hearty meal, put a fried egg on top of the dish. For something lighter, dress celery sticks in some sesame oil, a little soy sauce, and a good shake of furikake to make a salad similar to the one served at Bar Goto in New York.
Servings: 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280g) frozen tater tots
- 1 scallion white and light green parts only
- Okonomiyaki sauce (Store-bought, or use the home-made recipe below)
- Kewpie mayonnaise
- Nori-and-sesame-seed-based furikake
- 1 handful katsuobushi flakes (available at Asian stores, or some supermarkets)
3-Ingredient Home-made Okonomiyaki Sauce
- ½ cup tomato ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Cook 10 oz. (280 g) frozen tater tots in an oven according to the instructions on the package. While they’re roasting, cut 1 scallion, white and light green parts only, in half lengthwise and then cut it very thinly crosswise. When the tater tots are ready, arrange them in a single layer on a plate, snuggled close together, and make thin zigzags of the okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise over them. Sprinkle on the scallion and a generous amount of nori-and-sesame-seed-based furikake. Lastly, distribute 1 handful katsuobushi on top of everything; the shavings will “dance” as the heat from the tater tots moves them.
3-Ingredient Home-made Okonomiyaki Sauce
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
- Stir well until smooth and fully combined.
- Taste and adjust—add a bit more Worcestershire sauce if you want a tangier profile, or more ketchup if you prefer it sweeter.
