StarBulletin.com

New cookbook features old restaurant favorites


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POSTED: Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Once upon a time I helped write a cookbook. It was called “;What Hawaii Likes to Eat,”; and you can still find it in bookstores. But time passes, and a new edition, nicknamed “;Hana Hou,”; is on the way.

I'm not involved this time, but my partner on Book 1, Muriel Miura, is back at the helm, with an assist from Gaylen Wong, a longtime associate at Mutual Publishing. Mutual and the Star-Bulletin are again partners in the project.

The new book has an emphasis on dishes from restaurants long gone, which should make it popular with readers of this column, who seem obsessed sometimes with dishes they can no longer order off the menu.

The book hits stores in October, but pre-sale begins today, by way of mail-order coupons in the Star-Bulletin (look on Page 31 of the print edition today). Order the book by Sept. 30 for $21, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Hawaii Foodbank. In stores it will sell for $31.95. You can also order online at mutualpublishing.com.

One of the recipes in the new collection satisfies a request from Michele Miyamoto, who says one of her favorite restaurants growing up was the Swiss Inn in Niu Valley; her favorite dish, Trout Caprice. “;I remember it sounding very unusual but tasting oh, so delicious.”;

That unusual part would refer to the combination of trout and bananas. Martin Wyss, chef-owner of the Swiss Inn, now semiretired, says the dish was created by chef Hans Baeren at Hotel Schweizerhof in Interlaken, Switzerland, where Wyss was a cook apprentice. Trout is popular and easily available in that landlocked country, he says.

;

Trout Caprice

8 trout fillets (2-3 ounces each)
Salt, to taste
Lemon juice, to taste
Flour, for dusting
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 stick butter or 2 tablespoons canola oil
» Sauteed Bananas:
2 bananas, sliced lengthwise, quartered
1 tablespoon butter or canola oil
Chopped parsley and lemon wedges, for garnish

» Mushroom Sauce:
1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1/4 cup white wine
Few drops lemon juice
1 chicken bouillon cube or scant teaspoon chicken base
Pinch white pepper
1 tablespoon butter or canola oil
1-1/2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup whipping cream
Few drops Maggi seasoning
Salt, to taste

To make sauce: Place mushrooms, wine, lemon juice, chicken bouillon and pepper in saucepan, bring to boil. Simmer over medium heat until mushrooms are tender and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

In another saucepan, make a roux: Melt butter over low heat, whisk in flour, stirring constantly.

Strain mushroom liquid into roux; bring to boil and add cream, cooked mushrooms and Maggi; simmer gently a few minutes. Check seasoning; add salt and more pepper if necessary. Set aside; keep warm.

Season fish fillets with salt and lemon juice. Dust with flour and dip in egg; saute in butter or oil 1 to 2 minutes. Place fish on mushroom sauce.

To prepare bananas: Saute in butter or oil. Place on top of fish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 3-ounce fillets and not including salt to taste): 570 calories, 32 g total fat, 17 g saturated fat, 315 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 37 g protein

 


Nutritional analyses by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).