Last week was Julia Child’s birthday. She was such a powerful force in the culinary world, and to think: she didn’t really cook until she went to Paris!
Her show “Master Chefs” gave Julia the opportunity to work with professional chefs from across the country. One was Amy Ferguson, who at the time of filming was a young executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Mauna Lani, the first woman to be appointed to that position.
Originally from Texas, with a grandmother who cooked Creole cuisine from Louisiana, she studied art history and French studies in France. While there she took cooking courses at Le Cordon Bleu. That nailed her career in the food industry as she returned to Houston and started to teach French cooking classes. Interesting that she and Julia Child have similar stories after returning from Paris!
Amy is a fellow Dame and lives in Kailua-Kona, working on being semi-retired. I watched her career take off and enjoyed her restaurant, Oodles of Noodles.
Amy embraced the wonderful foods from Hawaii and many of her recipes include ulu (breadfruit), papaya, and local fish. Here are some of her recipes.
Ahi Yellowfin-Tuna and Ulu Breadfruit Cakes with Lime- Cilantro Mayonnaise
1 pound ulu (breadfruit) or Chinese taro (or sweet potato)
The fish: 1 pound fresh tuna, number 2 quality, or middle grade
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 medium-sized mild onion (Maui) peeled and diced
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
Salt to taste
Small handful of cilantro (leaves and tender stems), chopped
6 scallions (both white and fresh green), chopped
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/2 to 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons or more clarified butter
Lime-cilantro mayonnaise:
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Steam the breadfruit (or taro or sweet potato): Cut the breadfruit in half through the stem, peel the halves, slice out the cores, and steam 20 minutes or until almost tender — they will get cooked more later. (Or, steam a sweet potato the same way.) Put through the course holes of a grater and set aside.
Sauteeing the tuna: Slice the tuna 3/8-inch thick, then into 3/8-inch strips, and then into cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of clarified butter in the pan, stir in the diced onion, shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, for several minutes until translucent. Then add the tuna, stirring and tossing for several minutes, and sprinkle on a little salt. The tuna is done when barely springy to the touch. Set aside in a bowl and chill.
Forming the cakes: Blend the tuna and ulu in a large bowl with the cilantro, cornstarch, baking powder and egg. Then add small spoonfuls of cream to soften the mix enough for easy forming with your hands. Taste, then season carefully with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Scoop out large spoonfuls of the mixture and shape in the palms of your hands into fish cakes any size you wish. Ahead of time note: May be made to this point and refrigerated for several hours.
Cooking and serving the tuna cakes: Mix together the ingredients for the lime-cilantro mayonnaise. When ready to serve, heat 3 tablespoons of clarified butter in a saute pan and cook the cakes for several minutes on each side to heat through and brown nicely. Drain on paper towels before transferring to serving plates. Accompany with the lime-cilantro mayonnaise and garnish with the following papaya salad.
Puna Green Papaya Salad with Spicy Dressing
2 small or 1 large green (unripe) papaya
4 ripe red medium-sized tomatoes
1 small red chili pepper, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
2 scallions, chopped
Medium handful of cilantro (leaves and tender stems), chopped
For the dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oriental fish sauce or 1 teaspoon soy sauce to taste
2 teaspoons Chinese chili sauce or 1 or 2 red jalapeno peppers with seeds, finely chopped
For the dressing: Place all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously, taste carefully for seasoning, screw on the lid and set aside.
The papaya: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the papaya. Slice the fruit in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds (you will have to scrape hard with green papaya). Cut the fruit into very fine julienne strips using a mandoline, and place in a bowl.
The tomatoes: To blanch the tomatoes, drop them into a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, which loosens the skin. Cut out the core, strip off the skin, quarter through the stem, then halve the quarters into wedges. Lay each wedge flat on your work surface and slide a knife under the pulp and seeds to remove them. Finally, cut the remaining flesh into julienne strips and place in the bowl.
Hot pepper: To avoid irritation while handling hot peppers, oil your hands. Slice the pepper in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and cut the seeded pepper halves into julienne strips. Place in the bowl.
Final touches: Add the ginger, scallions, and cilantro to the bowl. First toss the salad, then toss with spoonfuls of dressing. Carefully correct the seasoning. You may serve it immediately, but wait at least half an hour to allow the flavors to blend.
To serve: To serve with tuna cakes, for example, place a small serving of salad in the middle of the plate and a tuna cake at each side with a dollop of lime-cilantro mayonnaise on top. Garnish with cilantro, perhaps with an edible flower to one side.