DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Chef Elmer Guzman, author of "The Shoreline Chef: Creative Cuisine for Hawaiian Reef Fish," prepares to bite into a weke sandwich on whole wheat.
Hawaii’s under-appreciated
reef fish earn some
upscale attention
To say that Elmer Guzman knows his fish would be an understatement. He has haunted Chinatown so that he might immerse himself in fresh-caught fish. He has even gone swimming with the fishes, so that he might better understand how to eat them by knowing what they eat.
But his love is not for fish of the ahi or mahi variety. The fish that really intrigue him are the ones that make their homes closer to shore -- the kaleidoscope of Hawaiian reef and shoreline fish. "These are the true island fish," Guzman says.
His interest in these fish was a natural extension of growing up on Maui surrounded by fishermen. But the love affair truly blossomed at Sam Choy's Diamond Head, where Guzman is executive chef.
"I tried to develop a fish tasting menu that would feature at least one reef fish variety," Guzman explains. In response to suggestions from customers and fish purveyors, he began compiling information about the fish he served into a kind of quick reference, what he calls his fish bible.
The bible caught the eye of a friend, himself an experienced guidebook author, who suggested Guzman turn it into a book.
That's when the real work began, Guzman says.
Although skeptical at first, he decided that a cookbook on reef fish had to incorporate the qualities of a reference guide, with all pertinent background information included, but in a user-friendly manner approachable for the home cook. The result is "The Shoreline Chef: Creative Cuisine for Hawaiian Reef Fish" (2003, Watermark Publishing), just released.
"I wanted to include information that my father would use to describe a fish. He would say, 'Ho, that fish is really cheap.' " That's just what you'll find in Guzman's text -- none of that scientific stuff, just useful information.
Guzman also tried to develop recipes that were a little off the beaten path. "Everyone knows how to pan-fry, steam or use these fish in soup," Guzman notes. He wanted to provide alternatives, kick the recipes up a notch, as Emeril Lagasse, who wrote the forward and is one of Guzman's mentors, would say.
Recipes such as Pan-Seared Moana on Chilled Somen Salad with Kaffir Lime-Sesame Seed Dressing and Portuguese-Crusted Uhu with Creole Meuniere Sauce may be more challenging, but are provided to give the home cook an appreciation for how complex Hawaii's reef fish can be in terms of flavor and texture.
Pair these recipes with Mama Guzman's Manini and Local-Style Foil-Wrapped Whole Uhu (made with a cup of mayonnaise!) and you have the makings of a truly eclectic cookbook.
The recipes could not have been developed without in-depth knowledge of the many varieties of reef fish. Habitat, diet, as well as how each type of fish was handled and stored after being caught, were all important to Guzman's research. So began a quest to educate himself, which included many hours in Chinatown, poking and smelling all varieties of fish, from a'awa (Hawaiian hogfish) to hapu'upu'u (Hawaiian seabass) to nohu (titan scorpionfish) to weke ula (red goatfish).
His sources included seasoned experts such as the Ishimotos of Ishimoto Fish Market, celebrity fisherman Hari Kojiima, even little old Chinese ladies he'd meet while they were buying fish for their evening meals. Many trial-and-error recipes were tested and tasted by Guzman, his kitchen staff and the customers of Sam Choy's.
Guzman even investigated the reef-fish habitat, at the suggestion of his wife, to observe feeding habits and environment. "Taste and flavor of these fish vary a lot depending on what they eat," he says. His research led to an eye-opening snorkeling excursion at Hanauma Bay, where he observed an uhu grazing on coral and was mesmerized by a barracuda floating motionless as it got ready to pounce in projectile fashion upon its prey.
You could say that Guzman literally became one with the fishes he prized.
All of this has culminated in "The Shoreline Chef" 160 spiral-bound pages filled with more than 100 recipes, wine suggestions (by Alan Suzuki of Robert Mondavi), fish descriptions (with color photographs), a fish-cutting guide by Kojima and a host of cooking tips from the chef himself.
Guzman is committed to living up to his new moniker. "Now, people come into the restaurant and yell, 'Hey, Shoreline Chef!' Has a nice ring to it."
Here is a sampling from Guzman's new book:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve chilled.Akule Poke
5 large akule in 1/2-inch cubes (remove skin and bones, but bloodline
may be kept)
1/2 cup sliced Maui onion
2 minced Hawaiian chili peppers
1/2 cup sliced green onion
3/4 cup chopped thick ogo or limu-kohu
Hawaiian salt to taste
6 tablespoons soy sauce (optional)
Approximate nutritional analysis, per 1/2 cup, using 1 tablespoon salt: 225 calories, 15 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, greater than 600 mg sodium without soy sauce; greater than 900 mg sodium with soy sauce, 1 g carbohydrate, 21 g protein.
Place mushrooms and choi sum in the bottom of a bowl. Lay kumu on top. Pour juices over fish, then sprinkle with orange zest, lemongrass, chili peppers, salt and pepper. Seal bowl with plastic wrap. Place in steamer basket over boiling water and steam 25 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.Steamed Aromatic Kumu
6 3- to 4-ounce kumu fillets (from 3 whole kumu, 1 1/4 pounds each)
3 cups quartered shiitake mushrooms
3 cups choi sum, in 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 2 oranges
6 Hawaiian chili peppers
1 lemongrass stalk
5 kafir lime leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including salt to taste): 150 calories, 1 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 22 g protein.
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