Well realistically all we can say is WOW! Sue was sceptical about this recipe. But it really was superb! I blagged a whole Octopus from the fish counter at the local Supermarket for £2.43 so although the ingredients sound like you’re reading War and Peace, we probably shoehorned this into budget, or thereabouts. We’ve built up quite a comprehensive store of Asian spices and sauces so a teaspoon here and a tablespoon there really don’t cost us much on a day to day basis.

Ingredients:-

100g of Plain Flour (Gluten free in our case)
½ Tsp of Baking Powder
3 Eggs lightly beaten
100ml of cooled Fish Stock
1 medium Potato, peeled and grated
¼ of a White Cabbage, finely sliced
1 Spring Onion, finely sliced
A thumb of fresh Ginger, grated
1 Tsp of Soy Sauce
1 Tsp of Shaoxing Wine
200g of mixed Sea Food (We used an Octopus, King Prawns and Scallops which we already had in the freezer from the local Chinese supermarket)
Oil to fry
Salt & Pepper

Our recipe for the Tonkatsu Sauce is here

Additional Garnish ingredients:-

1 Tbsp of Japanese Mayo
Powdered Seaweed (Laver ground with Salt)
Tempura Batter scraps
Spring Onions, sliced

Method:-

(1) Combine the Flour, Baking Powder, Eggs and grated Potato. Squeeze out and liquid for the Potato before adding.
(2) Season with Salt and Pepper.
(3) Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 2 hours or more.
(4)  Make up the  Tonkatsu Sauce and set aside.
(5) Pre cook the seafood ingredients in a little Oil until lightly done and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
(6) Remove the batter (Step 1) from the fridge and add the Cabbage Spring Onions, Ginger, Soy Sauce, Shaoxing Wine and cooled Seafood.
(7) Stir well to combine.
(8) Heat a little Oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
(9) Pour in the mixture and fry for 3 to 5 minutes.
(10) Flip over and cook for a further 3 to 5 minutes.
(11) Slide onto a large serving plate and garnish with the sauce and garnishes.

Dressing your own Octopus, other shellfish etc. might not be your cup of tea. But a decent Fishmonger or even the guys at the supermarket will generally be more than willing to help. The inner child in me likes messing with it’s food however!