Start meal with
isle-style seafood

Here are the recipes for dishes prepared by Chef Paul Heerlein of Molokai Ranch and Executive Chef Wayne Hirabayashi of Hoku's at the Kahala Mandarin on "Hawaii's Kitchen" this week. The show aired at 5:30 p.m. Sunday and will be rebroadcast at the same time Saturday on KHON Fox 2.

Opihi Off Their Half Shell on Cucumber
Tomato Relish with Ponzu Sauce

Molokai Ranch Chef Paul Heerlein

5 fresh opihi in the shell

Cucumber Tomato Relish
1 vine-ripened tomato
Japanese cucumber

Ponzu Sauce
1/2 cup shoyu
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Chile pepper water to taste

Rinse opihi. Shuck off shells and reserve.

Pepare Cucumber Tomato Relish: Quarter the tomato and take out seeds, then dice tomato. Seed Japanese cucumber and dice. Combine equal amounts of tomato and cucumber; you'll need 5 teaspoons in all for this dish.

Prepare Ponzu Sauce: Combine shoyu, lemon juice and chile pepper water.

For presentation: Place 1 teaspoon of Cucumber Tomato Relish onto each of 5 saimin spoons. Top with opihi. Arrange spoons on a chilled plate with a ramekin containing 2 tablespoons of Ponzu Sauce. Garnish with lemon and pickled seaweed. Makes 1 serving.

Note: Heerlein uses Yamasa brand shoyu in this dish.

Ahi Poke Musubi with King Crab Namasu

Hoku's Executive Chef Wayne Hirabayashi

1/2 cup sushi rice
3 baby romaine leaves
2 tablespoons furikake
2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Ahi poke
1/4 cup ahi, cut in medium dice
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon finely sliced Maui onion
1 tablespoon roughly chopped ogo
Sesame oil, to taste
Hawaiian salt, to taste
Chile pepper water, to taste
Kukui nut oil, to taste

Crab Namasu
2 ounces Japanese cucumber, seeds removed, sliced into 1/4-inch cuts, lightly salted for 1 hour and drained; about 1/4 cup
1 ounce daikon, sliced into 1/4-inch cuts, almost the same size as the cucumber; 1/8 cup
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1/8 cup king crab meat, picked through and squeezed of excessive liquid. Keep crab meat chunky.
2 tablespoons namasu marinade (recipe follows)
Salt, to taste

Ponzu Mayonnaise
4-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1-1/2 teaspoons commercial ponzu sauce

Prepare the Ahi Poke: Combine ahi, green and Maui onions and ogo. Add sesame oil, Hawaiian salt, chile pepper water and kukui nut oil to taste. Set aside.

Prepare the Crab Namasu: Combine the cucumber, daikon, green onion, crab, namasu marinade and salt. Mix well and set aside.

Prepare the Ponzu Mayonnaise: Blend mayonnaise and ponzu sauce. Set aside.

Prepare Ahi Musubi: Spread 1/4 cup of sushi rice on bottom of a sheet of plastic wrap and spread evenly, about 1/2-inch thick. Place 1/4 cup of Ahi Poke in center of rice and cover with another 1/4 cup of sushi rice. Form a ball using plastic wrap and bind rice to create a well-packed ball. Coat with furikake. Deep fry in hot oil.

Cut the ahi musubi in 2 or in 4 pieces.

Place baby romaine leaves, equally spaced, in a circle on a plate. Place 3/8 cup crab namasu in the center of the romaine leaves. Put Ponzu Mayonnaise in a squirt bottle and drizzle around the plate. Place cut musubi pieces in between the romaine leaves. Serves 1 or 2, as an appetizer.

Namasu Marinade

Hoku's Executive Chef Wayne Hirabayashi

1-3/4 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, smashed
12-inch sheet of kombu

Combine all ingredients. Let soak at least 2 hours in refrigerator. Strain as you use the marinade.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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