United Way cooks up tasty isle dishes

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“An Evening in Paradise with Mayor Billy Kenoi” cookbook is now available and is a fundraiser for the Hawaii Island United Way. It is an array of recipes from County of Hawaii officials, employees, and chefs who participated in the “Mayor’s Evening in Paradise.”

“An Evening in Paradise with Mayor Billy Kenoi” cookbook is now available and is a fundraiser for the Hawaii Island United Way. It is an array of recipes from County of Hawaii officials, employees, and chefs who participated in the “Mayor’s Evening in Paradise.”

Mayor Billy Kenoi’s recipe for Coconut Fish on page 43 is as follows:

Coconut Fish

Mayor Billy Kenoi

1 half-ripe coconut (spoonmeat)

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 small piece salt pork

Chopped chunks of ahi, mahimahi or ono (how much depends on the size of your coconut)

Green onions

Sesame seeds

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped (optional)

1 small piece ginger root (optional)

You cut a hole large enough to stuff the fish into the coconut (about 2-inch diameter). Save the piece you cut out. Pour out half of the coconut water, put in your onion and piece of salt pork. Add your chopped fish. Place the coconut on a frill so that it is standing up (you might need a ring to keep it upright). Replace the piece you cut out on top to cover the inside. Boil contents in the coconut for 30 minutes. If coconut catches on fire use spray bottle or water to put out the flames. Either scoop the contents out or crack open the shell and put contents into a pan. Add ginger and garlic. Garnish with chopped green onions or parsley and sesame seeds. A slightly different alternative is to add the garlic and ginger before cooking. Alternately, you can spoon the coconut meat and other ingredients into a covered casserole dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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On page 58, Chef Manfred Jonas of Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa contributed a wonderful recipe for Kona Kampachi.

Seared Kona

Kampachi with

Golden

Pineapple Salsa

Serves 2

Seared Kona Kampachi:

2 (4 ounce) Kona Kampachi Fillets

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Season fish fillets with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Preheat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil and sear the fillets on both sides. Finish fish in a 400-degree oven until desired temperature is reached. If kampachi is not available, Monchong would be my recommendation to substitute.

Golden Pineapple Salsa:

1/ 2 fresh golden pineapple, peeled, cored and diced 3/8 inch

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, diced 1/4 inch

1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon garlic, fresh, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped

1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced

Juice from one lime

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss together. Cover and chill.

Yuzu Butter Sauce:

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon shallots, chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons yuzu juice (Japanese citrus, or use lime juice)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, combine wine, vinegar, shallots, and ginger. Bring to boil and reduce to medium; continue to boil until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and yuzu juice and continue to boil until cream thickens slightly. Reduce heat and whisk in butter, a few pieces at a time, making sure sauce does not boil. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and strain.

Waipio Fern:

1 pound fern shoots

1 teaspoon butter

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cut the ends off the Waipio fern (also known as warabi (Japanese), hoio (Hawaiian or pohole in Maui), ostrich fern or fiddlehead ferns). Remove scales and wash thoroughly. Bring water to boil in a large saucepan, cook fern in boiling sat water until tender. Cool in an ice water bath. Saute in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Okinawan Sweet Potato Mash:

1 Okinawan sweet potato, cubed to 1/2 inch

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon coconut milk

Whole milk as needed

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Place on the stove over high heat and bring to boil. Cook until fork tender. Drain and mash the sweet potatoes while hot add butter, coconut milk, and whole milk. Mix the potatoes, until creamy and add salt and pepper to taste.

Sauteed Hon Shimeji Mushrooms:

1/2 cup Hon-shimeji mushrooms, broken into larger pieces

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Preheat medium sauté pan until almost smoking over high heat. Add vegetable oil and mushrooms and saute’ 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.

Call the HIUW office at 935-6393 to purchase a copy of this cookbook, or send $16 to the HIUW office at P.O. Box 745 Hilo, HI 96721-0745.

FOODIE BITES

The Taste of the Hawaiian Range is being held on Friday, Oct. 4, the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Tickets are $40 presale and $60 at the door. Thirty-five chefs will be given 100 pounds of a specific cut of beef, pork, lamb, mutton, goat or USDA inspected wild boar to prepare, as well as everything from the tongue to the tails. For more information, visit www.tasteofthehawaiianrange.com.

Please feel free to e-mail me at wilson.audrey@hawaiiantel.net if you have a question. Bon appetit until next week.