Polenta Crusted Onion Rings

Polenta Crusted Onion Rings 

Ingredients:

·         2 large Maui onions (or other sweet onions)

·         2 cups buttermilk

·         Teaspoon each seas salt and freshly ground black pepper 

·         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (can be seasoned with garlic salt, allepo pepper and fresh cracked black pepper)

·         1/4 cup polenta (not instant)

·         1 quart vegetable oil

Method: 

Peel the onions, slice them between 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for 1-3 hours.) In a separate bowl or container, combine the flour, polenta and the chosen seasonings. 

Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F or heat your warming drawer on low. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

If you have it, a rack over a second baking sheet is a good thing for draining

Heat the oil to 375 degrees in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the rack over the baking sheet sprinkle liberally with salt (I use smoked sea salt), once salted, moved to the paper towel lined pan and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot. These are very good with chipotle mayonnaise (3-4 chipotles and 1 cup of good quality mayo purred in blender or food processor.)

Montreal Hilo Bagels

I love bagels. My favorite bagels come from Montreal, not New York. I have actually found that in the last 10 years or so most NY Bagels have taken on the "Supersize me" that has prevailed across America. They are much larger and puffier than they used to be and I believe that they have less texture and crumb. This was evidenced by my last trip to NY a few weeks ago. In Montreal the bagels are still baked in the simple old fashioned way that they were made in Poland. The secret of course is simplicity. They are baked in a wood burning oven there, but this can be replicated somewhat using a baking stone or hearth insert like I use. The recipe is below for you to use as you wish

I have another post about making bagels here in Hawaii that you might enjoy reading. Island Bagels. 

I think you will enjoy this video about my favorite bagel bakery in Montreal. 

Montreal bagels, however, are a different breed, chewy and tinged with a tantalizing sweetness. The real thing is still baked in wood ovens, which give the bagels an irregularly charred outer surface. These bagels shine, too, with a gloss that only a short swim in a bath of honey- or malt-sweetened water can impart. With no chemical additives or dough conditioners, these bagels stand out in taste and looks.

How bagels came to be this way in Montreal is difficult to determine. The recipe was no doubt modeled after the those brought by immigrant families, many of whom opened bagel stores that still exist in the old ethnic neighborhoods. Over time, Montrealers came to enjoy - and expect -bagels in this style, so the tradition continued.

Some people have another explanation. They point out that other cities prohibit wood-burning commercial ovens, because of the fire hazard. Such ovens burn continuously with an unregulated open flame -you can't turn them off, and you can't turn them down. So Montreal has the dubious distinction of having notable bagels and a less-than-stringent fire code.

Bagels are one of those foods that have a certain mystique about them. Because they are readily available in most every city now, people just buy them and never think about making them. However, if you have had TRULY amazing bagels like these before, baked in this style, you will find it nearly impossible to find them anywhere other than Montreal and hence you must make them at home or increase your frequent flyer miles many times over. I have to say that before I started making them myself, every trip to Montreal included a suitcase for the bagels I would run out to St. Viateur Bakery and buy fresh from  the morning of our departure. If you live on the mainland, you can order them online from St. Viateur. Technology is amazing, really. But if you live in Hawaii like me, you are going to have to learn to make them, do without or drop by on baking day.

One note about sweeteners: Professional bakers once relied on honey, since it carries its own characteristic bouquet. Over the years, the price of honey has increased, so now many bakeries use light or dark malt syrup (available in some health-food stores and in those that stock beer-making supplies). Still, you should use honey in the formula and then add the malt syrup to the water. Here in Hawaii we have an abundance of wonderful local honey and the malt syrup has to be shipped in, so honey is preferred and actually about the same cost.

Note about toppings: You can saute finely chopped onions or garlic and add to the top of these as I did, though then they are not authentic Montreal Style. You could also incorporate cheese or sun dried tomatoes if you want American Style. That is not my style though.

MONTREAL STYLE  BAGELS

Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes but I find the flavor is better if you retard the fermenting process by refrigerating the dough. If you want to take this extra step, make  the dough at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours before you plan on baking them. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups water, room temperature 
2 packages dry quick-rising yeast (or 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast) 
1 teaspoon sugar 
2 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk 
1/4 cup olive oil 
1/2 cup honey 
5 cups or more flour (preferably bread flour) 
3 quarts water for boiling 
1/3 cup honey or malt syrup 
Sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top. These are the only toppings seen in Montreal, but of course if you like onions or garlic or anything else, they can be added instead of the seeds or in combination with them. 

Method: 
1.In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer that has a dough hook, blend together the water, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir in the whole egg, the yolk, oil and 1/2 cup honey, and mix well.

2.Add the 5 cups flour, and mix until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface (if using electric mixer, attach dough hook), and knead to form a soft, supple dough. Add a bit more flour as needed to prevent dough from getting too sticky. It should be tacky, but not sticky. 

3.When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or with a plastic bag.

4.Let the dough rest about 20 minutes. Punch it down, and divide into 18 equal portions. Pour the water into a large pot, along with the remaining 1/3 cup honey or malt syrup, and heat to boiling. Cover, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer while preparing the bagels.

5.Shape the dough portions into bagels or doughnutlike rings by elongating each portion into an 8- to 10-inch coil that is 3/4 inch thick. Fold the ends over each other, pressing with the palm of one hand and rolling back and forth gently to seal. This locks the ends together and must be done properly or the bagels will open while being boiled. Let the bagels rest 15 minutes on a baking sheet with parchment or silpat. 

6.Preheat oven to 550 degrees. If you have a pizza stone pre-heat it in the oven.  Bring the water back to a boil and remove the lid. Have bowls of poppy seeds and sesame seeds nearby.

7.When the water is boiling, use a slotted spoon, and add three bagels to the water. As they rise to the surface, turn them over, and let them boil an additional minute before removing them and quickly apply the seeds or other toppings. Continue boiling the bagels in batches of three until all have been boiled and seeded.

8.Just before baking, turn the temperature down to 450 degrees. Arrange the boiled bagels on a baking sheet, and bake on the lowest rack of oven until they are medium brown, approximately 25 minutes. Or using a peel covered with semolina, place the bagels directly onto a pre-heated pizza stone and bake in batches. Allow the oven to regain some of the temperature lost before adding the 2nd batch. Remove from the oven. Once cooled, the bagels can be placed in a plastic bag, sealed and frozen.

Yield: 18 bagels. NOTE: If not using the dough immediately, refrigerate it after it has been kneaded. Bagel making can be resumed up to a day later. Allow the dough to return to room temperature, and continue with step 4.

Kona Brew with the ACF!

On May 5th I went to the AFC Kona Kohala Chef's Association Chapter Meeting at the Kona Brewing Company. While all AFC meetings are fun, this one is annually the best attended and now I know why. It is not just the great hand crafted local beers that are a draw, the food was also fantastic and the camaraderie of the Chefs and food industry people made for a terrific afternoon on the other side of the island.


Kona Brewery has an outstanding sustainability policy, employing a full time Sustainability Coordinator to source local goods and implement their recycling and energy policies. Most of the spent grain used in the brewing is given to a local cattle rancher and what is not is used in the Pub's pizza dough and breads. They are embarking on a new solar system that will be able to power the entire operation. Even the leftover food scraps are given to a local pig farmer. All to go containers and the cups used at festivals are bio-degradable. Even the condensation water (90 gallons a day) from their air conditioning system is collected and used for the landscaping. 

Culinary Students 

Brewery Tour

Ready for pizza!

The Menu

First Course Hummus Plate 

The first beer, my favorite, the new Oceanic Organic Saison (Belgian Style) with Chef/Restauranteur Daniel Thiebaut in glass. The beer was paired with the Hualalai Hummis

Local Spinach and Strawberry Salad was paired with 

The Cheeseburger Pizza was paired with Fire Rock Pale Ale

 The Puna Pie was paired with Black Sand Porter. This was a very cheesy pizza and included local Puna Goat Cheese. 

Also featured, but not shown here were Perperoni Ali'i Pizza paired with Castaway IPA, Thai Chicken Pizza paired with Coco Loco Coconut Ale and for Dessert~ Pipeline Porter Float made with Tahihtian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. And we got to keep the pint glasses! 

 Chef/Restauranteur Daniel Thiebaut was made an Honorary Member of the ACF Kona Kohala Chef's Association. 

Our next event is an Avocado Tasting and Luncheon Menu featuring Avocados at the Four Seasons with Chef James Babian on Wed. June 2nd. Member and tropical fruit expert Ken Love will be presenting the Avocado Tasting/Educational element. 

Wordless Wednesday: Last Night's Dinner

Dinner last night, grilled BBQ chicken with mashed potatoes and a new spin on carrots and crookneck squash. Sauté a sliced Maui Onion in EVOO and a tab of butter. Then toss in some mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds start to pop, add squash slices and blanched carrots. Sauté for a couple of minutes just till the squash is tender and serve. Add salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Whole Fresh Grilled Ahi Tacos

Straight off the boat for $2 a pound... how could I resist this fish? I asked my Facebook friends for cooking ideas, but went back to my original plan... to very simply cook the fish over a fire as a whole fish, then to shred it and serve with home made tortillas, avocado, onions, cilantro, salsa and crema. On the side was an Espiau's Salad and Cuban Black Beans. Simple is best sometimes.

After the fish was gutted, I stuffed the cavity with lemon slices, lemon grass, olive oil, garlic, smoked sea salt and kaffir lime leaves. Then it was placed on the grill, slathered with olive oil and sea salt, then grilled for about 12 minutes on each side. After it was cooked, I served it whole on the table and I shredded the meat from the bone for the tacos. Ed ate a good bit of the meat before making tacos. It was really delicious.

My friend Brenda tackles the cleaning of the fish... 

Using two baking racks one on top of the other, you have a "fish cage" that makes it easy to flip the fish. 

Served with wedges of lime and lemon

And Brenda made her first tortillas after a brief lesson!
You can go to my other blog for a lesson in making tortillas. It is very easy to do and so delicious too!

Several bottles of wine later, we concluded that we had consumed yet another wonderful meal together. 

Okinawan Sweet Potato Gratin

Night before last I made a dinner worth remembering for some company from Colorado, a home made maple smoked ham with sauteed local crook neck squash and Okinawan (purple) sweet potato gratin.

Several requests have come in for the gratin recipe, so here it is. The Okinawan sweet potatoes are available in many parts of the country now, I even have a friend in Texas who has sourced them there. However, most are grown here in Hawaii, in fact most are grown just a few miles north of us in the deep dark soil of Onomea. As you can imagine they are not only plentiful, but also at their freshest here. In this post you can read how we sometimes volunteer to glean the fields after the perfect potatoes have been harvested for the market. We donate most of them to the Food Basket (our local food bank) and the bonus is that we can also bring home some to cook up.  

The exterior of these sweet potatoes is white and the interior is purple, the less mature ones are more pinkish purple. They can be used in a multitude of ways and are not only nutritious, but absolutely delicious. Everything from chips to desserts are made with them here. One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is simply baked with a little butter, fresh chives and black pepper. Of course it is difficult to compare anything to the Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia (Coconut Custard) with Mac Nut Crust that I make a few times a year.

The gratin is easy to make and really delicious. Of course if you only have traditional sweet potatoes, you can do the same recipe with them.

Okinawan Sweet Potato Gratin

About 2# of Okinawan Sweet Potatoes
One large Sweet Maui Onion

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
One nutmeg
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes and place in water till ready to assemble. This can be done up to 2 hours before assembly.

Thinly slice the onion and sauté in the olive oil till slightly caramelized. Add the butter and turn off the heat, the butter will melt. Add the flour and stir.

Strain the potatoes and place a layer of them in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole  (using about 1/3 of the potatoes).

Add a layer of onions (1/2 of them)  pull leaves from the thyme and sprinkle about (using 1/2 of them)

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. I like to be generous with the pepper.

Using a rasp or grater, grate some nutmeg over the top ( a slight bit, but so each bite will have a little.)

Top with 1/3 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano

Repeat with 1/3 of the potatoes, the remaining onions, 1/3 of the cheese, thyme, salt,  pepper & nutmeg.

Top with the remaining potatoes.

Pour the cream over the potatoes until you can just see the level of the cream below the top layer of potatoes.

Top with the final third of the cheese and some more black pepper.

Bake for 40 minutes. A crust should have formed on the top of the potatoes and the interior should be creamy and soft. Allow the dish to rest for 15 minutes before serving.