Today is Mardi Gras, or translated in French means “Fat Tuesday.” But in Hawaii, it is known as Malasada Day; in United Kingdom and Ireland it’s known as Shrove Tuesday and instead of malasadas, pancakes and fried breads are eaten.
Today is Mardi Gras, or translated in French means “Fat Tuesday.” But in Hawaii, it is known as Malasada Day; in United Kingdom and Ireland it’s known as Shrove Tuesday and instead of malasadas, pancakes and fried breads are eaten.
These shrove pancakes make a thin pancake, similar to French crepes.
Shrove Tuesday Pancakes
Makes: 18 pancakes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
Additional melted butter
Powdered sugar fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in blender, gradually add flour, blend until smooth and let stand for 15 minutes.
Heat nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Brush with butter. Add two generous tablespoons of batter, tilting the pan to coat bottom. Cook until golden on bottom, about 45 seconds. Turn pancake over and cook until the bottom is speckled brown, about 30 seconds. Turn out onto paper towel. Cover with another paper towel. Repeat until all batter is used, brushing skillet with butter as needed.
Butter oven-proof dish. Sift powdered sugar over speckled side of each pancake, then sprinkle lightly with lemon juice; fold pancakes into quarters. Overlap pancakes in prepared dish. Cover, bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve with more powdered sugar and lemon juice.
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In Hawaii, you can find malasadas being sold early Tuesday morning. This recipe for pumpkin malasadas is from Maui resident Marlene Texeira’s family. She lives in Kula, where the mornings are cold, so she uses an electric blanket to warm the dough so it will rise.
Pumpkin Malasada
Makes: 2 dozen malasadas
1 1/2 tablespoons (two packets) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup butter, melted
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
7 cups flour (no need sift)
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
Oil for deep drying
1/2 cup sugar, for sprinkling
Mix the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let it sit while you mix the other liquids. This gives the yeast a head start, away from the salt, which retards its growth.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave (in short bursts, watching it so that is doesn’t burn). Beat the eggs in a large bowl. (You might not be able to use your stand mixer for this, unless it can handle extra-large batches of dough). Add the evaporated milk, sugar and salt. Mix in the butter, which should have cooled down. Finally, add the dissolved yeast. Add a cup or two of the flour to the butter and egg mixture and mix. Add some of the pumpkin puree and mix. Alternate adding the flour and puree until all the flour and the puree have been added to the dough.
Cover the bowl and put it in a warm spot to rise. Let is rise for about one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Heat the oil in your deep fryer or a large pot to 350 degrees. Add a few scoops of dough to the oil. Some people use a tablespoon, some people use a kitchen spoon, some people use a small ice cream scoop, some people use their hands — how you scoop is up to you. Fry the malasadas until they’re golden brown all over, turning them as necessary. You will definitely have to do this in several batches. Do not crowd the oil.
Drain the cooked malasadas on paper towels. Roll in a pan of sugar or shake in a bag full of sugar.
Note: I would add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the sugar before coating the finished malasadas.
Foodie bites
Hawaii Community College’s Culinary Program’s cafeteria and Bamboo Hale are open this week. This week, the foods of Germany are featured at the Bamboo Hale through Friday. Call 934-2591 for reservations. The cafeteria offers great lunches for reasonable prices.
I am very particular about skillets. I will not tolerate pans that stick. I love the carbon steel pans for making crepes and pancakes. Carbon steel is 99 percent iron to 1 percent carbon. This compares to cast iron that contains 2 to 3 percent carbon and 97 to 98 percent iron. Performance in cooking is similar, but carbon steel pans are much lighter in weight and easier to handle.
Zagat’s 10 Hottest Restaurants in Hawaii was just released and Moon &Turtle in Hilo was No. 5. The comments about Moon &Turtle include: You must order the wild boar fried rice, smoky sashimi, pan-roasted local mahimahi with confit, Hamakua mushrooms and sweet pepper in Kauai prawn veloute.
The complete top 10:
1. The Pig and the Lady — Chef Andrew Le
2. Pint + Jigger
3. Mud Hen Water — Chef Ed Kenney
4. Eating house 1849 — Roy Yamaguchi in Koloa, Kauai
5. Moon and Turtle – Mark Pomaski
6. Koko Head Café
7. Lucky Belly
8. Livestock Tavern
9. L’Apertif at La Mer at the Halekulani Hotel
10. Shirokiya
Email me at audreywilson808@gmail.com.