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Luau now As soul-satisfying as Hawaiian food may be, it's never the prettiest plate at the party. Poi is gray and pasty; laulau is green and mushy; squid luau is green and mushy with stuff floating in it.
Chefs bring contemporary finesse
to traditional Hawaiian specialtiesBy Betty Shimabukuro
bshimabukuro@starbulletin.comKalua pig: beige. Haupia: white. Chicken long rice: paler than white.
If not for the bright red of lomi lomi salmon, there'd be nothing perky on the luau table.
But it's what's inside that counts, right? And with Hawaiian food, the flavors are captivating, from the deep smokiness of kalua pig to the earthiness of luau leaf, to the refreshing taste of the sea that is poke. Not to mention the singular taste sensation of poi.
The Hawaiian Island Chefs appreciate the beauty within, and they want to take the homely Hawaiian plate to the ball.
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Of course, they do have standards -- upscale restaurant standards -- so they expect their dates to dress for the occasion, which would be the Lei Day Luau, a benefit to be held next Wednesday at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki.The theme is contemporary luau, and the challenge issued to member chefs is to create dishes that reflect the tradition, but with flash befitting the pretty penny that guests will be paying.
So, for example, Lance Kosaka has assembled a dish he calls Fish and Poi -- seared ahi on a taro hash cake, with a spoonful of luau sauce and a drizzle of poi vinaigrette. Also part of the dish is a sauté of mushrooms flavored with truffle butter. Not many truffles are invited to your usual luau, but Kosaka says the flavor has an earthiness that's a perfect match for taro. "It really adds to the dish."
Kosaka's dish has all the sophistication you'd expect from someone who works at the side of the formidable Alan Wong, but when he describes the flavor, the vocabulary is simple: "It tastes like, you know when you eat laulau?"
That's the idea. Take a traditional dish and pump it up (George Gomes of Sarento's on Maui is filling mini-laulau with walu, black rice, coconut luau and blue crab). Take traditional ingredients and add contemporary flair (Russell Siu of 3660 on the Rise will use the familiar mahimahi, ogo, sweet potato and coconut to create a fish dish with coconut croquette). Or use a luau cooking technique in a new way, for example, long, slow cooking, a la kalua pig (D.K. Kodama of Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar plans dim sum filled with kalua duck, with a soy-wasabi beurre blanc sauce).
Presented by the Hawaiian Island Chefs: Lei Day Luau
Dinner time: 6 to 9 p.m. next Wednesday
Place: Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki, Mauna Kea Ballroom
Entertainment: Na Leo Pilimehana and Jake Shimabukuro
Attire: Lei suggested
Tickets: $75 ($1,500 for corporate tables of 10)
Call: 956-1111, ext. 4022
Host chef Göran Streng of the Hawaii Prince says the kalua technique is especially popular because it is universal, although few cultures go underground with it in the manner of the Hawaiian imu. "Basically all you do in an imu is hold the heat inside, and the food steams in its own juices."
In his native Finland, Streng says, smelt is baked overnight in a rye bread crust, traditionally in the low heat of wood-burning ovens.
Streng's May Day dish will be a take on poke -- wrapped in kataifi (shredded filo dough) and fried, giving it a hairy, crunchy crust reminiscent of a porcupine.
The Hawaiian Island Chefs group was formed in 1999, modeled after the Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs. Wong was a founding member of the HRC group; two of his chefs have signed on with HIC.
The younger group considers itself the inheritor not just of the HRC tradition -- a dedication to local foods, presented with contemporary finesse -- but also of its mission to encourage young chefs-in-training. Portions of the proceeds from next Wednesday's benefit will go to the Leeward Community College culinary program.
Steven Ariel of Wong's Pineapple Room has created a dish that sums up the event, basically covering the luau on one plate. He's using opakapaka, lomi salmon, spinach (in lieu of luau) and kalua pig, all steamed in a clam nage.
The ingredients are traditional but handled in a classical European manner. "You've got something based on a very classical preparation," Ariel says, "but using regional products."
To make hash: Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.Steven Ariel Pan-Steamed Opakapaka
4 6-ounce opakapaka fillets, skinless
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups clam juice
1/2 cup kalua pig
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups spinach leaves
Green onion slivers, for garnish
>> Lomi Salmon Hash:
6 tablespoons salmon, minced fine
2 tablespoons pork meat, minced fine
1 tablespoon shiitake mushrooms, diced small
1 tablespoon green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon water chestnuts, diced small
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
>> Tomato Concasse:
1 large vine-ripened tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons basil, choppedTo make concasse: Place tomatoes in a small saucepan and cook until all liquid is reduced, 10 to 12 minutes, then add basil and season with salt and pepper.
Season fillets with salt and pepper. Lightly butter a large sauté pan, and place fillets skin side down into pan. Top each fillet with about 2 tablespoons salmon hash. Pour clam juice around fillets, and stir half the kalua pig into the clam juice. Cover and steam over medium heat until fish is cooked, about 4 minutes. About 30 seconds before fish is done, swirl butter pan juices to create a sauce. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.
In another pan, sauté the remaining kalua pig with spinach and a small amount of butter. Season with salt.
To serve: Divide spinach mixture among 4 bowls. Place fillets on top of spinach, and pour sauce from pan over fish. Top with tomato concasse and garnish with green onion. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (without added salt to taste): 470 calories, 25 g total fat, 13 g saturated fat, 160 mg cholesterol, greater than 850 mg sodium, 4.5 g carbohydrate, 53 g protein.*
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