OPAH
An open-ocean fish, also called moonfish, it has a juicy,
almost creamy flavor. Prepare any way; best method is sauteing.

Eat the fish of the
new millennium—it's your
environmental duty

By Kekoa Catherine Enomoto
Star-Bulletin

THE next time you nibble a steak-like slice of seared ahi, sniff it, savor it, swallow it like a fine glass of merlot. After all, the Johnny Appleseed of fish flavors calls Hawaii the Napa Valley of the seafood world.

"Hawaii is really blessed," says Howard Deese, marine program specialist with the state Ocean Resources Branch. "By having such an availability of fish, we could all go on a fish diet and eat a different one every day."

Deese is a featured speaker at the sold-out "Love the Fish You're With" lunch at this weekend's Kapalua Wine & Food Symposium. Theme of the 17th annual culinary festival is "Setting the Epicurean Stage for the New Millennium."

TAAPE
A small snapper, half-pound to 1-1/2 pounds in size, it has a mild,
sweet flavor. Best cooking styles are pan-frying, steaming and deep-
frying with Thai-style sweet-sour sauce.

Lynn Matsuoka, known for her award-winning sumo,
kabuki and hula prints, created images of fish for the Kapalua fest.
Limited-edition prints are $250 each, or $1,650 for a set of 11.
Call 732-4856.

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While festival-goers savor the character of cabernets, rieslings and zinfandels, Deese wants them also to appreciate the nuances of rich opah, mild taape and tender monchong. He has traveled across the United States and Europe, carting a bounty of fresh Hawaiian fish and preaching the gospel of "FishSpeak." It's a way of describing fish flavors -- using words such as aromatic, delicate, distinctive and robust.

To learn more about fish Free "Hawaii Seafood" brochure: Features charts on flavors and textures of different fish, as well as ways to prepare them. Write: Ocean Resources Branch, 235 S. Beretania St., Room 503, Honolulu, HI 96813 Include: A self-addressed, stamped envelope Call: 587-2685.

On the cusp of the new millennium, Deese urges people to become fish connoisseurs, like wine connoisseurs, and he wants them to nurture the ocean like vineyards. For example, taape is a small snapper that tastes mild and sweet like its bigger snapper cousins opakapaka and onaga, because all snappers eat sweet crustaceans. We should eat taape, Deese says, because it is displacing the popular, overfished opakapaka.

"If we eat opakapaka and don't eat

taape," explains Deese, "pretty soon the taape overtakes the space that was occupied by opakapaka in the fishing grounds; and so the opakapaka doesn't have much chance to compete for space. So we have to eat both of them."

HEBI
A billfish, also called shortbill spearfish, with a light, lemony
flavor and firm texture. Prepare any way except searing;
best cooking method is sauteing.

Deese recommends frying or steaming taape. He says smaller taape are cheaper and have a bit of boniness, "but if you're patient, it's not a problem."

"Taape is very good for small families on limited resources because the fish is attractive head-on, and you can get the right size for your family."

Besides taape, turn-of-the-century seafood starlets include:

Gindai: Abundant this week in Chinatown markets, gindai is "the Chinese secret" because it's better than opakapaka for steaming and poaching, at half the price. Gindai features beautiful pink and yellow pastel stripes. "It's like a fish out of a coloring book," Deese says. "I think that's why people are afraid to try it, because it's so colorful."

Hebi: Also known as shortbill spearfish, with a light, lemony flavor, firm texture and fairly inexpensive price tag. Hebi is a fish lover's choice because it resembles ono, but with more flavor.

Moi: Superior to onaga in flavor. Moi is one of the aquaculture-raised seafoods that will become more prevalent in the new millennium, taking pressure off species such as kumu, a sparse reef fish.

Shutome: Tender, sweet, shellfish flavor, popular and expensive on the mainland. It is also known as broadbill swordfish, not to be confused with billfish, such as nairagi and hebi marlins. "Sword-fish is a guaranteed winner if you cook it at home," Deese adds. "It's rich enough to take quite a bit of noviceness in the kitchen." The poke-the-flesh system of cooking "pretty much can't lose."

Tombo: Ass-ertive, meaty, "a red-wine fish." The ahi poke advertised in supermarkets usually is made with tombo ahi instead of the more popular and more expensive big-eye ahi. Tombo ahi is abundant in the fall, when it's a real bargain.

Deese wants 21st-century diners to indulge in Hawaii's ocean bounty: Be aware of the ocean and its well-being. Savor the ocean's diversity and nuances. Be taste explorers -- try fish that are available and reasonable.

Says Deese, "Get a cooking method in mind and keep switching fish, you'd be surprised at how many different fish can fit into one recipe." For example, try tombo any way, except steaming. Saute-ing, broiling, searing and serving raw are good methods; baking, drying, smoking, poaching and making into soups are acceptable.

Recipes follow from the Kapalua Wine & Food Symposium.

Fish in the Sky

Chef de cuisine Tony Edington and Bay Club
chef Sean Kinoshita, Kapalua Bay Hotel

2 (6-ounce) ahi fillets (No. 2 grade or better)
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tobiko
4 baked puff-pastry shells, each 3 inches in diameter (available in grocery frozen-food case)
Wasabi-flavored tobiko (flying-fish roe) and cilantro leaves for garnish

Creme fraiche:
1 quart heavy cream
6 tablespoons sour cream
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Seasoning rub:
6 tablespoons yellow Thai curry paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped
6 tablespoons cracked coriander seed

Two days in advance, combine all creme-fraiche ingredients in a nonreactive container; cover. Set aside at room temperature for 24 hours; then refrigerate 24 hours. Will keep two weeks.

Up to 1 day in advance, combine seasoning-rub ingredients and rub into both sides of fish; cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

To prepare fish, heat iron skillet until a drop of oil smokes on contact. Lightly salt marinated fillets and sear 30 seconds on each side, until heavily caramelized on the outside and deep pink on the inside. Cool.

In a stainless-steel bowl, whisk 1 cup garlic-laced creme fraiche to form soft peaks. Gently fold in cilantro and mint and 1 tablespoon tobiko.

Fill pastry shells with 3/4-inch layer of creme fraiche. Slice ahi into thin strips and arrange on top. Garnish with wasabi, tobiko and cilantro. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 700 calories, 49 g total fat, 18 g saturated fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 1,700 mg sodium.*

MONCHONG
An open-ocean fish, also called big-scale or sickle pomfret,
it is tender, flaky, with a simple flavor. Prepare any way
except raw; best method is sauteing.

Pesto-crusted monchong

Michael Baker, Jameson's Grill & Bar, Kapalua

4 (6-ounce) fillets monchong (big-scale or sickle pomfret)
3 cups fresh basil
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Confit tomatoes:
4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Tomato-coulis sauce:
4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic syrup:
1 cup port wine
4 cups balsamic vinegar

Goat cheese croutons:
4 ounces Puna goat cheese
Flour, egg wash and panko for breading

To make confit tomatoes: Peel tomatoes and cut in half crosswise. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Bake at 200 degrees 6 hours to overnight.

To make tomato-coulis sauce: Saute tomatoes and garlic in olive oil on low heat until tomatoes are very soft. Machine-puree mixture, season with salt and pepper, and strain through a sieve.

To make balsamic syrup: Reduce port wine down to 1 tablespoon. Add vinegar and reduce until syrupy. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

To make goat-cheese croutons: Form goat cheese into 12 balls. Coat with flour, dip in egg wash, and roll in panko. Deep-fry until golden brown.

To make monchong: Machine-process basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Coat both sides of monchong fillets with mixture. Saute fish in olive oil 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until done.

To serve: In the center of a plate, place a confit-tomato half and surround with 6 croutons. Place fish on top of tomato. Drizzle tomato-coulis sauce and balsamic syrup over plate from squeeze bottles. Makes 4 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving with 1 tablespoon each coulis and balsamic sauces: 800 calories, 51 g total fat, 14 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 610 mg sodium.*

Simple steamed fish

"Every Grain of Rice" by Annabel Low and
Ellen Blonder, Clarkson Potter, $25

1-1/2 or 2 pounds whole, scaled fish, such as taape, red snapper or black bass; or a thick chunk of striped or black bass
1-1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut in fine slivers
1 scallion, sliced lengthwise
2 cilantro sprigs, (optional)
3 tablespoons peanut oil
4-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

Rinse the fish. Pat dry, then place in a heat-proof dish.

Set a rack in a pot and add water to a depth of 1-1/2 to 2 inches. (If you use a steamer, fill half the lower tier with water.) Boil. Set dish on rack (or on upper tier of steamer) and steam over high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Test for doneness by poking a chopstick or sharp knife through the thickest part of the fish. It should flake easily and look opaque all the way to the bone.

When fish is done, use a turkey baster or spoon to discard any accumulated liquid.

Sprinkle ginger, scallion and optional cilantro over fish. Heat oil in a small skillet. Add soy sauce and heat for a few seconds. Pour mixture over fish. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 270 calories, 12 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 460 mg sodium.*

Sweet and sour fish

"A Taste of Thailand" by Duangduen Buranasombati,
Island Heritage, 1994

1-1/2 to 2 pounds whole taape, opakapaka, tai snapper or other fish, cleaned and scaled
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

Seasoning sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
Garnish:
2 green onions, including green and white parts, finely sliced
1/2 cup Chinese parsley
3 red chiles, seeded and sliced

Clean fish, pat dry with paper towels. Score fish several times in a crisscross manner on both sides for faster cooking. Sprinkle both sides with flour.

In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, fry fish in oil until lightly browned on both sides. Remove fish onto paper towel and keep warm. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil.

Combine seasoning-sauce ingredients; set aside.

Stir-fry onion in reserved vegetable oil for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and mushrooms. Add seasoning-sauce mixture to vegetables, stirring until sauce thickens.

Place fish on a platter and spoon sauce over fish. Garnish with green onions, Chinese parsley and chiles. Makes 4 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 570 calories, 36 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 420 mg sodium.*

Kapalua Wine & Food Symposium Dates: Friday through Sunday Place: Kapalua Bay Hotel and Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Reservations: (800) KAPALUA Schedule of events Friday Tasting and buying wines, 10 a.m., $30 Food in cyberspace, 11:30 a.m., free Indochine Meets Hawaii tasting with 100 wines, 6 p.m., $75. Saturday New Year's Eve 2000 champagnes, 10 a.m., $50 Single-malt whiskeys, 4 p.m., $30 Sunday Wines and farmhouse cheeses, 10 a.m., $50 Media on millennium trends, 2 p.m., free Seafood Festival with 100 wines, 6 p.m., $95.