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Opakapaka is pink snapper. We made it with a real simple preparation to keep the integrity of the fish.
We made a layer of chopped fennel underneath the fish and stuffed the fish with the fronds, lemon, salt and pepper. Then we topped it with lemon slices more salt and pepper, chipotle chile powder and some olive oil. Roast in 500 oven for about 15 minute, turn of the oven and let sit in the oven for 15 more minutes.
Serve with a mache salad and Mexican rice and a nice Sancerre
I thought every few weeks I would showcase some Hawaiian food specialties. Today I am featuring Lau Lau.
Lau Lau is pork, salted butter fish and sometimes a chicken thigh wrapped in taro leaves (luau leaves), and then wrapped in Ti leaves and steamed. The key to this dish is to make sure that it is steamed long enough so the leaves do not leave a starchy feeling in your throat. These days you can also get a vegetarian version with sweet potatoes.
It does not look too good but it is very tasty. You unwrap the Ti leaves and eat the taro leaves and pork and fish.
Aloha
Why are they "sort of" Moroccan? I used lots of Moroccan flavors, coriander, ginger cumin but, I used red wine as the braising liquid and that would not be traditional. This is a nice comfort food for these chilly nights that we are getting trough out the US and even Hawaii.
Braised Lamb Shank
4 Lamb Shanks
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion, quartered
2 Ribs Celery, chopped in big chunks
2 Carrots, chopped in big chunks
3 Cloves of garlic
1 1 inch piece of ginger, cut in half
1 Small bunch of cilantro leaves, about 1/4 cup
1 Teaspoon dried coriander
2 Teaspoons cumin
1 Teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and Pepper
2 Cups Red Wine
2 Cups Water
Brown shanks in olive oil. As they are browning place onion, celery, carrot, garlic, ginger and cilantro in the food processor, process until minced very fine. After the shanks are brown, remove to a plate and add the minced vegetables. Cook until softened, add the rest of the spices and stir. Add the shank back to the pot and cover with the wine and water. Simmer for one hour. Check on tenderness, the meat should easily be pulled of the bone.
Serve with Polenta, Risotto or take some of the sauce and toss with pasta and serve the shank on top.
Enjoy!
As you seen in previous posts we do catering for a few exclusive people but what pays the rent is the catering contracts that we have with the film industry. We cater for most of the movies, television and commercials filmed in Hawaii. We have been the caterer for the ABC television show Lost for the last five seasons. Here is what was for lunch yesterday.
The crew usually gets a choice of two proteins, there is always white or brown rice, a pasta, vegetable and a salad bar. The chicken is one of our cooks, Rudy's recipe. The secret is a special soy sauce.
This is Hector one of our cooks, barbecuing the chicken. FYI: The building in the background is where Barack Obama"s Tutu lived, he spent most of his teenage years there.
Fingerling Potato Lyonnais, Pasta Caponata
Ginger Glazed Eggplant
Our crew, they look awfully happy for starting work at 3:00 am.
The catering trailer, inside is a full kitchen. Again Barack's apartment in the background.
It has been a little chilly over here lately, I know it does not compare to other places in the world. I was born in Hawaii and i am pretty use to the constant 80 degree weather so when it drops to the lower seventies I get really cold. Black Bean and Rice Soup helps warm me up. I like to garnish this soup with guacamole, fried papas and roasted poblanos.
16oz Dried Black beans, cooked by package directions
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Carrots, chopped
2 Celery Ribs, sliced
1 Onion Chopped
1 Dried Chipotle Chile
2 Tablespoons cumin
1 Tablespoon smoked, hot paprika
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. water
1 Cup Jasmine rice
Salt and Pepper
Saute celery, onion, and carrot in olive oil until soft. Add Chipotle, cumin and paprika. Pour in tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and add rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until rice is done
Garnish
Papas - Dice 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes, Saute in 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil Season with Smoked Paprika.
Guacamole - Mash one avocado with 1 teaspoon cumin,salt 1 teaspoon diced onion and a few leaves of cilantro
Roasted Poblanos - Roast one poblano under the broiler until skin blackened, let cool and peel off skin, cut into strips.
I have out of town guests this week and we decided to get some take out at the Ala Moana Farmer's Market and eat at Ala Moana Beach park. The Farmer's Market use to be a bustling variety of ethnic food stores and fish stands. Many of these stores have gone out of business. The remaining stores do however provide some great examples of Hawaii's diverse ethnic foods. Here is a sample of what we picked up. For more information about Hawaii's food check out Rachel Lauden - Food of Paradise
Our first stop was Haili's Hawaiian Food, where we bought a Kalua Pig Plate. I mistakenly ordered rice instead of Poi which would have been a great condiment to the Pork. I believe that Haili's cooks their pork in a Imu (an underground oven). Also on the plate is Lomi Lomi Salmon (salted salmon with tomatoes and green onion), Poke (ahi mixed with soy sauce, seaweed and onions), haupia (coconut custard), and Chili Pepper Water (hot sauce).
Our next stop was Marukai Market where you can pick up a variety of Japanese Foods
Kabocha Pumpkin cooked in Soy Sauce
Dynamite Sushi - Sushi Rolls with Crab (too bad it was imitation), slathered with a spicy mayonnaise,salmon and baked - interesting!
Fried Ika - Squid
Boiled Peanuts
Shrimp Sushi Rolls
A lovely Sashimi Platter
Fried Noodles topped with Nori and Pickled Ginger
Fresh Roasted Chestnuts from China, they were very sweet and easy to open with this little plastic gadget they gave us with the Chestnuts.
After filling our tummies, it was time to play
These are great appetizers but they do take time to make. They can be made ahead of time and kept warm in the oven but they are best fried and served right away. The key to this recipe is to squeeze the potatoes until they are very dry.
3 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes, grated
1/2 - 1 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Egg
2 Pinches Saffron Threads
Salt/Pepper
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
Caviar
Grate the Potatoes and soak in cold water to release the starch. Drain in a colander lined with cheese cloth. Gather the potatoes in a ball and squeeze all the excess water out.
Place potatoes in a bowl and mix with flour, add whipped egg.
Heat oil in pan. Form 1 tablespoon balls of the mixture and place in hot oil. Tamp down the balls until they form flat cakes. Turn when golden brown on bottom. Tamping down again. This is very important to achieve a flat crisp cake. Drain excesses oil on a paper towel lined sheet pan. These can be placed in the oven on warm until ready to serve. Top with sour cream and caviar. They can also be served with smoked salmon.
and a "perfect compliment", Stony Hill Chardonnay, 1998
