BBQ prawn okonomiyaki with dancing bonito

The cook

1. 01

   Step 1SORT THE FIRE

   Light the charcoal and let it burn cleanly before cooking. Set up a hotter and cooler area, then heat a food-safe steel plancha over the coals. Aim for a surface temperature around 190°C. Allow roughly 20–30 minutes to establish the fire, alongside your prep. Have a metal cooking dome or suitable BBQ lid ready.

2. 02

   Step 2MIX THE SAUCE

   Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Set aside with the mayo and bonito so you can finish each pancake while it is properly hot.

3. 03

   Step 3PREP THE PRAWNS

   Pat the peeled prawns dry and cut into roughly 2 cm pieces. Small pieces cook evenly through the pancake; whole chunky prawns make the centre harder to judge. Keep chilled until the batter is ready.

4. 04

   Step 4BUILD THE BATTER

   Whisk the flour, cold dashi and eggs into a thick batter. Fold in the cabbage, spring onion whites, pickled ginger and prawns. Season lightly with salt. It should look like cabbage lightly coated in batter, not a bowl of pancake soup. Cook straight away before the cabbage starts releasing water.

5. 05

   Step 5GET THEM SIZZLING

   Spread half the oil over the cooking area. Spoon on two quarters of the mixture, leaving room to turn them. Shape each into a pancake roughly 15 cm across and no thicker than 2 cm. Tuck stray cabbage into the edges and cook uncovered for 4–5 minutes, until the underside is golden and firm enough to lift.

6. 06

   Step 6FLIP AND COVER

   Turn carefully with two broad spatulas. Cover with the dome or close the BBQ lid for 3–4 minutes to help set the centre. If the base is darkening too quickly, move the pancakes onto the cooler part of the plancha. Do not squash them flat — you want a tender centre, not a cabbage coaster.

7. 07

   Step 7CRISP AND CHECK

   Uncover and cook for another 2–3 minutes, turning again briefly if the first side needs crisping. The centre should be set with no wet batter, and the prawns opaque throughout. Check the centre and a prawn piece with a fine-tip thermometer: aim for 75°C for 30 seconds. Allow roughly 10–12 minutes per batch, cooking longer over gentler heat if needed.

8. 08

   Step 8REST, DRESS, DEMOLISH

   Rest the cooked pancakes on a rack for 2 minutes so the bases stay crisp. Finish with zigzags of sauce and Japanese mayo, the reserved spring onion greens and optional seaweed. Scatter the bonito over last and serve immediately while the rising heat makes it dance. Cook the remaining two pancakes with the remaining oil, serving in batches for the best crunch.