Typhoon-Day Hirayachi
ヒラヤーチー·(hirayāchī)
The American Uchinanchu Pantry (Foundations)
Whisk a tin of tuna into a loose batter and let the whole mess drop, listening as the batter sizzles and breathing in the vapor of pungent garlic chives and sesame oil hitting a hot cast-iron skillet. This isn't the towering, mayonnaise-drenched okonomiyaki of the mainland, but a thin, chewy, utilitarian flatbread pulled straight from the back of the pantry—just flour, canned tuna, an egg, and dashi. Slide the pancake onto a plate, hit it with soy sauce, and eat.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- cold water1 cup
- egg1 large
- Hondashi1 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1 pinch
- garlic chives1 bunch
- canned tuna in oil5 oz
- vegetable oil1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Japanese Worcestershire sauce1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry.
In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk the egg, then pour in the cold water, Hondashi powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the dashi dissolves, then add the flour and whisk gently just until the large lumps disappear, being careful not to overmix the thin batter.
- 02
Fold in the savory staples.
Add the chopped garlic chives and the lightly drained tuna to the bowl. Use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients until they are evenly distributed.
- 03
Heat the skillet.
Place a 10-inch or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a splash of the vegetable and sesame oil blend and let it heat until the oil shimmers and a faint wisp of white smoke appears.
- 04
Pour and spread the batter.
Ladle about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the batter into the center of the pan. Immediately tilt the pan or use the back of your ladle to spread the batter out into a thin, even 8-inch circle.
- 05
Crisp and flip.
Let the pancake cook completely undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes. When the edges turn golden brown and crisp, and the top surface loses its wet shine, slide a wide spatula underneath and confidently flip it. Cook the other side for another 2 minutes until it develops dark, toasted spots.
- 06
Slice and serve immediately.
Slide the flatbread onto a cutting board, cut it into a grid of squares or wedges, and serve hot alongside a small dish of Japanese Worcestershire sauce.
Notes
Keep simple things simple.
If you don't have canned tuna, very finely diced Spam is an equally authentic, highly traditional Ryukyuan pantry substitute.
Eat it like an Okinawan grandmother.
Once both sides are cooked, use your spatula to roll the pancake up into a loose cylinder right in the pan, then use the edge of the spatula to press and cut it into bite-sized pieces before transferring to a plate.
Respect the sauce.
Japanese Worcestershire sauce (like Bull-Dog) is sweeter and fruitier than its Western counterpart. Do not substitute with thick okonomiyaki sauce or mayonnaise; the tangy bite of Worcestershire is crucial to cutting the richness of the oil and tuna.
From Cook Okinawan in America.