By Request

BETTY SHIMABUKURO

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Barbecued chicken
carries airline food
to new heights

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Airline meals are discussed in terms of thousands. Hawaiian Airlines, for example, serves 3,000 meals a day, 30,000 feet in the air.

Working with those kinds of numbers, plus the tight confines of a galley in the sky, not to mention customers belted into tight seats who must be served off rolling carts ... well, it is a challenge to provide an optimal dining experience.

Over the last few years, though, airlines have been trying to make those meals memorable, signing big-name chefs to develop in-flight recipes. Roy Yamaguchi, Sam Choy and Alan Wong have all had airline contracts. Beverly Gannon of Maui's Hali'imaile Cafe and Joe's Bar & Grill is corporate chef for Hawaiian Air.

Debbie Sakamoto, who flew Hawaiian in August to Portland, Ore., noticed the difference. "They served a barbecue chicken entrée with mashed potatoes. It was outstanding. Can you believe somebody actually liked airline food? ... I'd love to try to make it myself."

Hawaiian adapted the recipe for a family-sized portion.

Barbecued Chicken Strips

1-1/2 to 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
>> Marinade:
2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavor
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce (below)
2 teaspoons salt

Cut chicken thighs into 1/2-inch strips.

Combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Grill chicken strips on barbecue about 5 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Serve with barbecue sauce. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (1-1/2 thighs per serving): 270 calories, 7 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, greater than 2,000 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 26 g protein.*

Barbecue Sauce

1/2 tablespoon margarine
1/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup bottled chile sauce
2 tablespoons mustard
1/4 cup molasses
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
Salt to taste

Sauté onions in margarine 2 minutes. Stir in additional ingredients and season to taste with salt. Simmer on low heat 10 to 15 minutes.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per 2 tablespoons (not including salt to taste): 50 calories, 1 g total fat, no saturated fat, no cholesterol, at least 100 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g protein.*

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.