The first time I went to Hawaii was with my family when I was just four years old. After more than fifty years, I don’t recall much except that my brother, Butch, buried my shave ice in the sand on Waikiki beach. I also remember that the grasses in the hula skirts that my sister and I paraded around in all summer smelled warm and toasty and just like Hawaii. Coconut palms and sandy beaches are a big part of the draw for a kid from Minnesota, and although we were there in the summer, it was still paradise.
Long after that first trip, I began exploring Hawaiian cuisine, which reflects a complex mix of influences, including the kitchens of its native population, Japan, China, the Philippines, Korea, Portugal, and the mainland. The best tip I can give you when preparing this truly fusion table is to cook with the aloha spirit—with care and respect—and your dishes will taste like the food of the islands.
WITH CRISPY WONTON TRIANGLES
Poke, diced raw fish mixed with a highly seasoned dressing, is a popular appetizer in the islands. I like to serve it with the
Japanese Wakame and Cucumber Salad or with the bright green agar agar and seaweed salad you find in sushi bars all over Hawaii. Sometimes I use small butter or iceberg lettuce cups in place of the fried wonton wrappers.
In fish markets, the term sushi grade often appears on fish that is deemed safe to eat raw, and although it can mean quality, it carries no legal weight and thus no assurance of quality. The color and firmness of fish can be good clues to excellence, but you can also be easily fooled. For example, carbon monoxide–treated tuna will keep its desirable red color long after it would have faded if untreated. In other words, the fish can be spoiled and still look bright red. The only way to ensure you are getting high-quality fish is to buy from a reputable shop where the fishmonger is able to tell you when, where, and how the fish was caught. | SERVES 6 TO 8
14 TO 16 OUNCES SUSHI-GRADE AHI (YELLOWFIN) TUNA FILLET
¼ CUP SOY SAUCE
2 TABLESPOONS MIRIN
½ CUP FINELY MINCED SWEET ONION, PREFERABLY MAUI
½ CLOVE GARLIC, FINELY MINCED
1 TEASPOON TOASTED SESAME OIL
1 TEASPOON SRIRACHA OR OTHER HOT-PEPPER SAUCE
¾ TEASPOON HAWAIIAN OR OTHER SEA SALT
PEANUT OR VEGETABLE OIL, FOR DEEP-FRYING
1 (12-OUNCE) PACKAGE SESAME OR PLAIN WONTON WRAPPERS, CUT IN HALF ON THE DIAGONAL
2 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, MINCED
½ CUP MACADAMIA NUTS, LIGHTLY
TOASTED AND CHOPPED
Make sure your tuna is very cold and your knife is very sharp. Trim away any tough sinew and membrane, then finely dice the fish. Be careful not to mash it. Work quickly and do only a portion of the fish at a time, keeping the rest chilled in the refrigerator. Reserve the diced tuna in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until serving.
In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sweet onion, garlic, sesame oil, hot sauce, and salt and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Pour the oil to a depth of 1 to 1½ inches into a deep, heavy sauté pan and heat to 360°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a large tray or platter with paper towels. Working in small batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the wonton wrappers and fry for about 2½ to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Using a wire skimmer, transfer to the towel-lined tray to drain. Always make sure the oil has returned to 360°F before adding a new batch of wrappers.
Just before serving, add the soy mixture to the tuna and mix gently but thoroughly, and then transfer to a serving platter or individual plates. Shape into an attractive mound and arrange the wonton chips, green onions, and macadamia nuts around for people to compose their own bites.
Pork Katsu
WITH JOHN’S TONKATSU SAUCE, STEAMED RICE, AND MACARONI SALAD
My husband, John Watanabe, spent time in Japan with his sister, Barbara, testing as many tonkatsu (fried breaded pork cutlet) shops as possible. He also took many trips to Maui with his son, Cole, to test the tonkatsu there. This sauce is a product of all of his research, and I would highly recommend making a double batch for sauce lovers. It will keep in a tightly capped container in the fridge for several weeks. It is also tasty on rice, chicken, fish fillets, or chicken livers.
This combination of pork katsu, steamed rice, and macaroni salad is a typical Hawaiian plate lunch. Where did the plate lunch originate? According to Arnold Hiura, author of Kau Kau Cuisine and Culture of the Hawaiian Islands, the now-classic trio of main course, rice, and macaroni salad was probably the creation of Moyo Iwamoto, a widowed woman with six children to support. According to Hiura, after operating a food pushcart for a few years, Iwamoto saved enough money in the mid-1920s to lease “a small space on Channel Street,” where she served hungry workers paper plates piled high with rice, a vegetable, and a main that could be anything from pig’s feet to beef stew. This pork katsu is reminiscent of the panfried veal cutlets my mom served when I was a kid, and the sauce even includes ketchup, which was always on the table with the veal cutlets.
Traditional accompaniments are steamed regular or sticky (glutinous) rice—we serve brown rice at home and white rice at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen—and macaroni salad, and I like to add a great vegetable. This is definitely not a diet dish, but it is one of the all-time best-sellers at the Supper Club, sometimes even served on the traditional paper plate.
If pork cutlets between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick are available, use them. At the restaurant, we have also used our 10-ounce pork chops and then pounded them, which makes for a nice presentation. You can make the dish fancier by using pork loin in place of the pork butt. Or, you can opt for boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of pork. See more
thoughts on deep-frying. If you cannot find baby turnips with their greens attached, substitute an equal amount of bok choy for the greens.
| SERVES 6 TO 8
½ TEASPOON DRY MUSTARD POWDER MIXED WITH 1 TABLESPOON BOILING WATER
¼ CUP ORGANIC KETCHUP
1 TABLESPOON SAKE
4 TEASPOONS SOY SAUCE
4 TEASPOONS RICE VINEGAR
4 TEASPOONS WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
3 TO 4 TEASPOONS SUGAR
1 THUMBNAIL-SIZE PIECE FRESH GINGER, PEELED AND MINCED
1 CLOVE GARLIC, MINCED
PINCH OF WHITE PEPPER OR FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
PINCH OF GROUND ALLSPICE
2 POUNDS BABY TURNIPS WITH GREENS ATTACHED
2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
½ YELLOW ONION, THINLY SLICED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
3 TO 3¼ POUNDS BONELESS PORK BUTT
1 TEASPOON SEA SALT
½ TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
½ TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER (JUST DON’T SUBSTITUTE GARLIC SALT)
½ TO ⅔ CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
2 LARGE EGGS
1 TO 2 TEASPOONS WATER
3 CUPS PANKO (JAPANESE BREAD CRUMBS) OR CRUSHED SODA CRACKERS
CANOLA OIL, FOR PANFRYING
1 MEDIUM-SIZE NAPA OR GREEN CABBAGE, SHREDDED
6 TO 16 LEMON WEDGES
To make the sauce, in a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
To prepare the vegetable, cut off the green tops, chop, and set aside. Trim away the root from each turnip. If the turnips are very small, leave them whole. Or, cut into halves or quarters, depending on size. Wash and chop the tender greens. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready an ice bath. Add the turnips to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, until just tender. Scoop them out with a sieve or a wire-mesh skimmer and plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking.
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and turnips and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 5 minutes, until
lightly caramelized. Remove from the heat, add the greens to the pan, and let sit while you cook the pork cutlets. You will finish the turnips just before serving.
To prepare the pork, preheat the oven to warm. Trim the pork of any sinew and cut into six to eight 1½- to 2-inch-thick slices. Pound each slice until it is an even ⅓ inch thick. Season the pork slices with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and let them sit while you set up your breading station.
Line up 3 wide, shallow bowls or deep plates. Spread enough flour in the first bowl to coat the pork. Break the eggs into the second bowl, add the water, and whisk until blended. Spread the bread crumbs in the third bowl. (This is the order in which you will dredge the pork to get it ready for frying.) Place 1 or 2 baking sheets next to the line of bowls. They will hold the breaded pork slices. (If necessary, you can stack the breaded slices, slipping parchment or waxed paper between the layers.) Line a couple more baking sheets or a couple of big heatproof plates with paper towels and put them in the warm oven.
Now, keeping one hand for the dry dip and one hand for the wet, coat each piece of pork on both sides first with the flour, shaking off the excess; then with the egg, letting the excess drip off; and finally with the bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs in place—using your “dry” hand, remember—to ensure the surfaces are well coated and gently shake off the excess. Lay the nicely coated pieces of pork on the baking sheet(s) as you go. This step can be done ahead; refrigerate the breaded pork until ready to cook.
Pour the canola oil to a depth of ½ inch (at the most) into a sauté pan and heat to 370°F on a deep-frying thermometer. When the oil is ready, add as many of the cutlets, one at a time, as will fit without crowding. They need to have plenty of room around them to sizzle and brown. Cook, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the cutlets, until golden brown. When the cutlets are ready, using tongs, transfer them to a warmed towel-lined baking sheet and return the sheet to the oven. Repeat until all of the cutlets are cooked, always making sure the oil has returned to 370°F before adding a new batch.
When the final batch of cutlets goes into the pan, return the pan with the vegetables to medium-high heat and cook until heated through and the greens are wilted to your liking.
To serve, arrange shredded cabbage on one half of each plate, top the cabbage with the cutlets, and place 1 or 2 lemon wedges next to the cutlets. On the other side of the each plate put a scoop of salad, a scoop of rice, and a scoop of vegetables. Serve the sauce on the side.
CARAMELIZING IS A COOKING PROCESS BY WHICH THE SURFACE AREA OF THE ONION IS NICELY DARKENED ANYWHERE FROM A RICH AMBER TO A DEEP MAHOGANY BROWN AND THE INSIDES ARE COOKED TO A LUSCIOUS SWEETNESS. IN GENERAL, THE SMALLER THE CUT, THE EASIER IT WILL BURN INSTEAD OF CARAMELIZE; THE LARGER THE CUT, THE LONGER THE CARAMELIZING PROCESS WILL TAKE.
START OFF WITH ENOUGH OIL IN YOUR PAN TO COAT ALL OF THE ONIONS NICELY. HEAT OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT TO BEGIN. ADD THE ONIONS AND COOK, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY, UNTIL THE ONIONS PASS THROUGH THE TRANSLUCENT STAGE TO THE GOLDEN STAGE. REDUCE THE HEAT SO AS NOT TO BURN THE ONIONS AND CONTINUE TO COOK AND STIR UNTIL THE ONIONS HAVE REACHED A NICE, RICH BROWN. AS THE ONIONS TURN DARKER, STIR MORE FREQUENTLY TO PREVENT BURNING. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THIS WILL TAKE DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF ONION YOU ARE COOKING, THE SIZE OF THE PAN YOU’RE COOKING IN, AND YOUR BURNER’S HEAT. IT’S NOT UNREASONABLE TO BUDGET 30 MINUTES FOR CARAMELIZING. THE SLOWER YOU GO, THE SWEETER THE FINISHED PRODUCT. BEWARE THAT TOWARD THE END THE ONION CAN GO FROM CARAMELIZED TO BURNED SEEMINGLY IN A FLASH, SO WATCH OUT.
I make this salad with the traditional elbow macaroni, but it’s just as tasty with other shapes of good-quality pasta. My nephew Nicolas ate a ton of it during the testing process. I love the pepperiness of watercress and arugula, so when one of my Hawaiian cookbooks had a recipe for macaroni salad that included watercress, I jumped on it and added arugula here. It lessens the mayonnaise and lightens the dish. I use Best Foods mayonnaise (Hellmann’s east of the Rockies). A lesser brand will yield a lesser salad. | SERVES 6 TO 8
½ SMALL YELLOW ONION
1 POUND DRIED MACARONI OF CHOICE, COOKED AL DENTE AND CHILLED
1½ CUPS MAYONNAISE
1 CUP CHOPPED WATERCRESS
1 CUP CHOPPED ARUGULA
1 CUP SHREDDED, PEELED CARROT
1 CUP FINELY CHOPPED CELERY HEART AND LEAVES
½ TEASPOON SEA SALT
¼ TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Finely grate the onion over a large bowl, capturing the onion flesh along with all of the juice. Add the macaroni, mayonnaise, watercress, arugula, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, and then serve chilled.
My husband John likes to soak the raw grains of rice for 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking. I just rinse and go. If your rice is from a new crop, it won’t need as much water as I have listed here. | SERVES 6 TO 8
2 CUPS SHORT-GRAIN WHITE OR BROWN RICE
4 CUPS WATER
1 TEASPOON SEA SALT
Put the rice in a good-size bowl, add water to cover, swish the rice around with your hand, and drain. Repeat the rinsing and draining until the water runs clear.
If using a rice cooker, combine the rinsed rice, water, and salt and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions. If using a saucepan on the stove top, combine the ingredients in the pan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes for white rice or 35 to 40 minutes for brown rice. The rice should be cooked perfectly. If your burners are like mine and you can never adjust the heat low enough, use a
heat diffuser.
MACADAMIA AND COCONUT TART
You’ll want to use a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom for this recipe. It makes it easy to remove the tart from the pan by just pushing up on the bottom so the rim falls away. I always loosen the tart from the rim with a knife while it is still warm, and let it finish cooling on the bottom of the pan on a wire rack. Light corn syrup is traditionally used in this recipe, but you may want to use rice syrup or maple syrup if you don’t like corn syrup. A scoop of coconut sorbet or vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream is delicious with this tart. | SERVES 8 TO 10; MAKES ONE 9- OR 10-INCH TART
1¼ CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 TABLESPOON SUGAR
¼ TEASPOON SALT
½ CUP PLUS 2 TABLESPOONS COLD UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO SMALL PIECES
½ TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
1½ TO 2 TABLESPOONS ICE WATER
1 CUP MACADAMIA NUTS
4 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED
¾ CUP FIRMLY PACKED LIGHT OR DARK BROWN SUGAR
3 EGGS, WHISKED
1 TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
½ TEASPOON SALT
1 CUP LIGHT CORN SYRUP
¾ CUP UNSWEETENED SHREDDED DRIED COCONUT
To make the tart shell, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Scatter the butter over the top and, using a pastry blender or a pair of knives, cut in the butter until pea-size pieces form. Add the vanilla and then add the water, a little a time, and stir and toss with a fork just until the dough comes together in a rough mass. (Add the water slowly as you may not need it all.)
Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a disk about 1 inch thick, and wrap in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9- or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round. Roll the dough around the pin, position the pin over the prepared pan, and then unroll the dough, centering it over the pan. Gently press the dough snuggly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Take care not to stretch the dough, as it will shrink during baking. Roll the pin over the top of the pan to trim away any dough that extends beyond the rim. Line the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To toast the nuts for the filling, spread them on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are fragrant and have taken on color. Pour onto a plate, let cool, and chop into pieces. Leave the oven set at 350°F.
Place the tart shell in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil, return the shell to the oven, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until just golden brown. Let cool on a rack.
To assemble the filling, in a bowl, combine the toasted nuts, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, corn syrup, and coconut and mix well. Pour the filling into the cooled prebaked shell. Depending on the size of your tart shell, you may have excess filling. Be sure to include all of the macadamia nuts and coconut.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the surface is a rich golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, then slip away the rim of the pan and let cool completely on the rack. Aloha!
