Cabbage and Bacon Skillet Pancake

Who says this can't be dinner?

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Need a light lunch—or an extra-quick dinner? This cabbage skillet pancake is calling your name. Loaded with bacon and topped with sour cream, this exuberant large-format fritter will brighten even the dreariest weekday.

This skillet pancake is inspired by the classic Japanese okonomiyaki, a giant pancake made with a simple batter of egg, flour, dashi, and tons of shredded cabbage. Typical Osaka-style okonomiyaki is usually made by layering the cabbage batter mixture over pieces of pork belly in the pan so both essentially cook together—and it’s always served with a duo of okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayo. My Americanized take uses a similar ratio of egg to flour to cabbage and cooks it in the same way, but instead of pork belly, I’ve opted to crisp up bacon separately, toss it with the cabbage and scallion in the batter, and then fry the pancake in the leftover bacon fat for extra flavor. I’ve also chosen to serve it with sour cream instead of okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayo—although I’m sure they’d be delicious here as well.

The secret to the crispiest bacon is cutting the bacon into 1” pieces, arranging all those pieces in a single layer a cold pan, and cooking them on medium, completely undisturbed, until they get super crisp on the bottom before flipping. This allows the fat to completely render out, resulting in evenly browned pieces that can then finish crisping in their own fat. It also means that you can cook each piece to optimal doneness, instead of needing to remove full pieces that still have distinctly chewy areas from the pan because other areas of that same piece are almost burnt.

Flipping this pancake might seem intimidating, but using two plates instead of one (plus a very hot pan) makes it infinitely safer and less stressful. Make sure to run a metal spatula all around the edges and jiggle the pan to ensure the pancake is fully mobile before trying to slide it out onto the plate: if it’s stuck anywhere, it may tear.

Leftover pancake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I highly recommend reheating in a pan with a little oil rather than in the microwave: this will help the pancake to crisp back up on the outside.

Enjoy!

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Cabbage and Bacon Skillet Pancake

(Serves 6)

3 oz. bacon (about 3 slices), cut into 1-inch pieces

8 oz cabbage, shredded

3 scallions, thinly sliced, divided

1 egg

¼ c. water

½ tsp. kosher salt

6 tbsp. (45 g.) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. neutral oil

Sour cream, for serving

Instructions

Arrange bacon in a single layer in the bottom of a 10-inch pan (preferably stainless steel). Set over medium heat and cook, undisturbed, until fat has rendered and bacon is crisp on the bottom, 5-6 minutes. Using a flexible metal spatula, scrape bacon off bottom of pan (it might stick slightly, but don’t panic; just gently nudge it off). Arrange bacon pieces browned side up and continue to cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes more.

Remove bacon from pan, then drain fat into a heat-proof container and reserve. Wipe out pan.

In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, all of the scallion white parts and 2/3 of the green parts, and ¾ of the cooked bacon. (Reserve the remainder of cooked bacon for topping). Set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk egg until blended. Add water and salt and whisk again, then add in flour and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour batter over cabbage mixture and toss until incorporated.

Add bacon fat to clean pan and heat over medium heat. Add cabbage mixture, pressing into a flat even layer across the bottom of the pan. Cook until crisp on the bottom, 5-6 minutes.

Using a flexible metal spatula, loosen pancake from bottom of the pan, shaking gently to ensure pancake is not stuck. Carefully slide pancake out onto a large plate. Invert another plate on top of the plate and flip so when the first plate lifts off, the browned part of the pancake is now on top.

Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil to the hot pan and slide the pancake, uncooked side down, back in. Cover pan and continue to cook until browned on second side and cooked through, 3-4 minutes more. Use metal spatula to slide onto serving plate.

Let cool 5 minutes, then cut into 6 pieces (a scissors works well for this). Serve topped with sour cream, reserved scallions, and reserved crispy bacon.