Seafood smokehouse Nestled amid the old rusting ruins of the Waialua Sugar Mill are signs that new life is sprouting. Gone are fields of sugar cane that once blanketed the area. In its place, coffee and a diverse range of agricultural crops such as mango and asparagus have taken root.
thrives in Waialua
Haleiwa Smokehouse has been producing
quality smoked seafood for a yearBy Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
Special to the Star-BulletinThe Waialua Farmer's Cooperative has set up shop near the entrance of the old mill, showcasing products that define much of the island's agricultural landscape.
What you don't expect to find along this dusty red dirt road is a thriving smokehouse. But that's exactly the small business that has come to this old agricultural town.
Haleiwa Smokehouse -- so named because it was intended to be in Haleiwa town -- just celebrated its first year of business without much fanfare.
Word of mouth and a quality smoked seafood line have been enough so far to generate business beyond the expectations of the husband-and-wife team of Steve and Joni Shiraishi.
"I've actually been doing this in my back yard for over 20 years, but I was urged to finally go legal," says Steve Shiraishi, a commercial fisherman by trade.
"Going legal" meant working closely with the Board of Health to abide by very strict smokehouse and seafood processing plant regulations. (The Board of Health says smoked products from other companies are being sold legally in Hawaii, but that Shiraishi's smokehouse meets standards for his particular smoker.)
It's one reason Haleiwa town didn't work out. The smokehouse needed to be housed in a more industrial area.
At the heart of Shiraishi's business is an $85,000 computer-regulated smoker, developed by a friend's father in Oregon.It's basically a monstrous, stainless-steel smart oven that Shiraishi sent lock, stock and barrel on a barge to Hawaii and installed here himself.
In fact, Shiraishi's entire operation has involved intense, hands-on labor.
From Dole Foods, Shiraishi leases what used to be a plantation laboratory. He turned what was originally a closet into the main entrance for his retail operation and a working laboratory space into a full-scale seafood processing operation. It's a far cry from his backyard setup.
Yet even with all the accouterments, churning out quality smoked seafood on a commercial basis is a tedious, labor-intensive operation.
First, the fish is prepared and sliced by hand -- a 10- to 12-hour process. Then a brine is prepared in which the fish is marinated for about 48 hours. Each piece of fish is then carefully laid out so as not to overlap another and dried for another four hours.
Then the actual smoking begins. In the smoker, the fish goes through another drying phase for an hour and is then smoked through a slow heating process that gradually takes the temperature from 90 to 150 degrees. Depending on the size of the fish slices, this process can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, but ensures a bacteria-free product.
Shiraishi uses a combination of hickory, mango and guava wood that he says gives his smoked fish an original taste and aroma.
Shiraishi's product line includes smoked opah, ahi, marlin, ono, swordfish, tombo belly, tako, mullet, butterfish and scallops. Opah andahi are the best sellers.
The fish comes in 4-ounce bags that range from $5.50 to $7 each (scallops run slightly higher). Shiraishi also makes a signature smoked ahi paté that he says is a big seller with non-fish eaters.
Shiraishi says several stores have expressed interest in his line, including a handful of mainland companies, but it's currently available only at the Waialua store.
"My business is just a mom-and-pop operation right now with my wife, son and daughter," Shiraishi says. He also hires ex-plantation workers to help him cut fish, but most of the work is done himself. "I can control the quality that way," Shiraishi says.
Shiraishi does have dreams of increasing his product line and experimenting with condiments such as smoked salts. But for now, he is satisfied with what he's got.
After all, a man's got to have time for his first love: Once a fisherman, always a fisherman.
Smokin' suggestions
Steve Shiraishi has these suggestions for those who smoke seafood at home:Monitor your smoker carefully: Don't let the fire flame up or you'll end up cooking your meat, not smoking.
Keep sizes uniform: If all pieces of meat are the same size, everything will smoke evenly.
Keep it clean: Keep smoking and prep area clean. Never let seafood warm to room temperature when getting it ready for the smoker. Try to keep meats at 40 degrees or colder.
Don't rush: When smoking, make sure internal temperature of meats reaches 145 degrees for at least a half-hour to ensure all bacteria is killed.
If you have some smoked fish on hand, here's a suggestion for a way to serve it, from Shiraishi and his wife, Joni:
Smoked Fish Salad
1 medium-size papaya, diced
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, torn
1 medium Maui onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Haleiwa smoked ahi or marlin, chopped
4 cups baby greens
>> Dressing:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons raspberry preserve
1 clove garlic, mincedToss all salad ingredients in a bowl except for the smoked fish. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and drizzle over salad. Toss lightly. Serve salad and garnish with smoked fish.
Nutritional information unavailable.
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