Teppanyaki Grill

Teppanyaki is a style of food in Japan. Teppan = griddle or iron plate, Yaki = fried or grilled. This style of cooking is relatively quite new, evolving after the second world war when some foods were still scarce, and ways were thought up to use leftover bits of meat and vegetables. It was in the 1960′s that  the Teppanyaki Grill became popular, as the Americans in particular saw the many benefits of this kind of cooking.

A Teppanyaki Grill can be electric, or gas powered.  These Japanese griddles cook with their main heat source in the middle – 300′C to 400′C for cooking – and cooler outer surfaces for keeping food warm. These appliances are perfect for use in restaurants for front of house cooking involving the customer. For use in the home or outdoors, an electric portable Teppanyaki Grill is a great way to serve food in front of your guests. Many consider seeing a Japanese chef cooking on a Teppanyaki Grill a unique dining experience. Watching the food being theatrically prepared is as enjoyable as the food is to eat once it’s cooked.

Many major manufacturers now produce a range of teppanyaki grills. Prices can vary enormously, depending on whether they are for home or restaurant use. I’ve seen the portable electric ones on sale for as low as $60, or they can cost thousands of dollars for the more top of the range catering types. Similar in function are Raclette grills, which again are ideal for use in the home, and can be placed on a dining table where guests can see their meals being cooked right before their eyes.

Teppanyaki caters for all styles of cooking. Western style is similar to the ingredients one might find in a barbecue – beef, shrimp, scallops, lobster, pork chops, ribs, sausage, or chicken, as well as vegetables. Teppanyaki steak houses are popular around the world in fact.

Cooking Japanese-style teppanyaki some typical ingredients might involve noodles, cabbage with sliced meat or seafood. One of the favorite meats used in Japan on a Teppanyaki Grill is Kobe beef, which is ideal as this beef is quite fatty.

Takoyaki is one of the most famous Japanese snack foods there is, and when you come here it’s a must-try in any restaurant of the country.

I came across this recipe for takoyaki over on Bento.com, and I hope some of you guys might try it out. Even if you can’t make it to Japan in person you can at least try to cook up the flavor of Japan in your own kitchen.

Ingredients:

  • 200g chopped boiled octopus
  • cooking oil
  • benishoga (pickled ginger) (to taste)
  • chopped negi (or scallions) (to taste)
  • tenkasu (or rice crispies) (to taste)

Batter:

  • 450cc water
  • 1 piece konbu (kelp), 10cm square
  • 15g powdered katsuo-bushi (shaved dried bonito)
  • 200g flour
  • 2 eggs

Sauce:

  • commercial takoyaki sauce
  • or worcestershire sauce
  • or bulldog sauce
  • or mayonnaise

Cooking time: 10-20 minutes
Servings: 50-60 pieces (4-5 persons)