By Request

BETTY SHIMABUKURO

---

Homemade unagi musubi
mimics supermarket fave

Kim Hom Holzman and her daughter are frequent buyers of unagi musubi at their neighborhood supermarket, but would like to recreate this hand-held eel treat themselves.

As luck would have it, Troy Teruya of Catch of the Day Sushi plans to serve his unagi handrolls at Monday's "Chopsticks & Wine," a fund-raiser for the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce at Bishop Museum. Teruya joins chefs Darryl Fujita of the Halekulani, Hiroshi Fukui of L'Uraku, Shigeaki Inoue of Kyo-Ya and Göran Streng of the Hawaii Prince Hotel offering up their specialties alongside wines from Australia, California and Washington.

With an unagi roll, it's all in the ingredients. Purchase prepared unagi -- broiled freshwater eel -- frozen in Japanese markets such as Daiei. When it comes to the all-important rice flavorings and sauce, which make all the difference in taste, Teruya's restaurants use a sushi vinegar imported from Japan and a special "Shaka Dark Sauce."

Teruya suggests shortcuts using commercially prepared flavorings for doing this at home. His recipe is for a handroll, with a few garnishes that elevate it above the usual Spam-musubi-type snack. But with a musubi mold in hand, the Holzmans could press out an unagi musubi that mimics their supermarket favorite.

Also contributing a recipe this week is Kyo-Ya's Inoue, who will serve his Katsuo Tataki at "Chopsticks and Wine."

Unagi Temaki

6 2-inch strips broiled unagi
1-1/2 cups cooked rice
3 tablespoons sushi vinegar
3 sheets yaki nori (dried roasted seaweed)
3 tablespoons Nitsume Tare (see note)
>> Garnish:
Radish sprouts
White sesame seeds, toasted

Heat unagi according to package directions. Combine rice with sushi vinegar, tossing to mix well. Add more to taste if necessary.

Cut nori sheets in half to make 6 sheets. Spread 1/4 cup rice on left half of a nori sheet. Place unagi over rice. Top with Nitsume Tare sauce, spread with radish sprouts and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Roll into a cone shape. Makes 6.

Note: Nitsume Tare is a soy-based sauce used in seafood dishes and sold in Asian markets.

Chopsticks and Wine When: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday Place: Bishop Museum Cost: $70 Call: 949-5531

Katsuo Tataki

1 long strip of aku (skipjack tuna), about 2 pounds
1 cup grated daikon
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 ounce chopped chiso leaf (see note)
2 ounces radish sprouts
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons grated ginger
>> Ponzu sauce:
1-1/2 cups soy sauce
1 cup ponzu (preferably Mitsukan brand)
2 tablespoons mirin

Sear fish until browned and charred, then immediately submerge in an ice bath and refrigerate.

Slice cooled fish into 1/8-thick pieces and arrange in fan-like layers. Top with daikon, green onions, chiso and radish sprouts.

Combine ponzu ingredients. Pour around fish. Serve garlic and ginger on the side.

Note: Chiso, sometimes called shiso, is the leaf of the beefsteak plant and is sold fresh in the produce section of Japanese markets such as Daiei and Marukai.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Food Stuffs: Morsels

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.