Wasabi Grilled Mahi Mahi with Grilled Brussels Sprouts

This simple dinner can be done on the grill in a matter of minutes. The sprouts take about the same amount of time as the fish. You can also use Ahi Tuna for this method. We are fortunate to have an abundance of fresh local Mahi Mahi and Ahi in Hawaii. If you live in a land locked location, you may use frozen defrosted mahi mahi fillets.

Preheat your grill and then turn the flame down to medium

The Fish

2 filets of Mahi Mahi

Sweet Soy Sauce (Available in Asian Markets, also known as Kecap or Indonesian Soy Sauce.)

Wasabi Paste in a Tube

Dark Sesame Seeds 

Place the fish on a plate, coat with the sweet soy sauce on both sides. Place on a medium grill for 3 minutes, flip and then spread about a tablespoon of wasabi on the filets. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and finish cooking, about another 3 minutes.

The Brussels Sprouts

This is my favorite way to make Brussels sprouts. It is simple and fast and retains fresh flavor and nutrients.

12-15 Brussels sprouts stem end cut off and then cut in half

Olive Oil

Smoked Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Crushed Red Pepper

Place the sprouts in a bowl, toss with a generous amount of olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that when grilling a good bit of the seasoning sticks to the grill, so be generous in seasoning.

I usually serve this with coconut rice. It would also be great with mashed potatoes. I also sometimes serve this with grilled pineapple, as shown.  

Fresh Catch!

Wasabi Hoisin Mahi Mahi

Along the side of the road an old white pickup truck was parked. A cardboard sign, read "Fresh Mahi Mahi and Mangoes." I really should have a bumper sticker on my car, "Caution, I stop for roadside produce." It is a common place thing here in Hawaii, for a fisherman or farmer to just park his truck at an advantageous spot and let the people come. I made an instant decision to pull over and went from 45 to a full stop in about 10 seconds. My friend Maria and I were really interested in the Mangoes... and bought some beautiful big juicy ones. And then I said, "Let me see your fish." He complied. I bought.

I sent out a shout on FB asking for suggestions on how to prepare the beautiful fresh filets. I immediately got over 25 replies. My original thoughts were to either simply grill the filets or to grind up some mac nuts and crust them, but I asked for ideas and I got lots of them. I chose to combine a couple of ideas. My friend Gail shared a method she learned at Taylor Camp in the '60's: Slather with wasabi, splash on soy sauce and bake.

In the end, I gave the filets a little bath of olive oil, then put them on the grill along with some hot chiles I was roasting and some gently smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes from a local farm. After the first side had grilled, I flipped the filets and added a light coating of wasabi paste, then a drizzle of Hoisin Sauce. I let it cook about 3 minutes and removed it from the grill. I served it with a cabbage salad, AMAZING corn on the cob from another truck farmer emergency stop on the side of Highway 19 and the smashed grilled Yukon Golds. It was a fine dinner. 99.9% local, only the Wasabi, olive oil and Hoisin were imported. This recipe is so simple and so delicious, you must try it even if you do not have a truck on the side of your highway selling fresh catch. It would also be a good treatment for salmon, ono, ahi and many other fish.

Simple Local Dinner~ Grilled Ono and Bok Choy

I got some great Ono (local fish, also known as Hawaiian Wahoo) steaks and grilled them up, stir fried some bok choy that I bought from my "plantain lady" at the Hilo Farmer's Market and smashed a few fingerling potatoes and grilled them along with the fish. 


Ono is a realative of the King Mackerel. The flesh of the ono is whiter, flakier and has a more delicate texture than the meat of other fast swimming pelagic species. Although they may make oceanic migrations as far as those of tuna and marlin, it contains less of the strong-tasting "blood meat" that the latter species use for long-distance swimming.  While ono may grow to up to 100 pounds in round weight, the local Hawaii catch is usually between 8-30 pounds. It is a perfect fish for grilling and can usually be found at reasonable prices in Hawaii because it is so local. We have a Big Island Grocery chain Foodland/Sack n Save that regularly buys fish from local fishermen. They sell them cut up as well as whole. They also make the best Poke on the island, fresh daily. 


Grilled Ono
serves two but can be easily doubled


Two Ono Steaks (6-9 ounces each)


Marinade: 
1/2 cup of pineapple vodka * 
1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
1 inch of fresh ginger grated with a microplane 


2 tablespoons smoked paprika


In a bowl, stir marinade and add ono. Marinate for 30 minutes. 


Remove Ono from the marinade and sprinkle with smoked paprika. 


Oil a hot grill and place the ono on the grill. After 4 minutes turn. The fish should be ready 3-4 minutes later. 

* I make pineapple vodka by steeping pineapple slices in vodka for 4-6 weeks. You can also use sake in place of the vodka if you do not want to take the time to make it. 

Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy
serves two but can easily be doubled


This is such an easy and healthy recipe! 


6-8 baby bok choy cut in half


2 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil 
pinch of crushed red pepper 


2 Tablespoons Soju (soy sauce)


In a large wok, add the oils and pepper, heat on high and toss in the bok choy, stirring frequently. It only takes 5-8 minutes to cook.  


Sauce with the soju before serving. 


Grilled Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
serves two but is easily increased


This can be done with fingerlings or small red or yukon gold potatoes. 


6 small potatoes or fingerlings
olive oil
Hawaiian sea salt (I use my home smoked salt) 
freshly ground pepper


Microwave or bake the potatoes till barely soft... do not over cook them or they will fall apart. I usually microwave them for 2 minutes and check them, then add a minute more if they are not soft enough. If you are using an oven, I would check them after 15 minutes. 


With a potato masher gently smash the potatoes so that they are about 3/4 of an inch thick. Again, the key here is not to Over mash. The potatoes skin should be mostly intact so that the potato will hold together. Drizzle generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, then flip and do the same on the other side. 


On a hot grill, grill the potatoes for 4 minutes, flip and cook for 4 minutes more. You want a nice crust. 

You may need to add more seasoning as much of it will fall off when cooking, but I like both the "cooked seasonings" and the freshly added ones. You can also add some fresh herbs such as rosemary or parsley. 

Tandori Night in Hilo

I love Indian flavors. We do not have a single Indian restaurant on this island and so, like many things it comes down to creating these dishes at home.

What a fun meal. Even if it was just for two, it was one of the best I have had in a while. Tandori shrimp (sourced from the National Energy Labs Seafood Farmer’s Market,) homemade Naan, Mint Coriander Chutney (very spicy,) Mint Coriander Riata (cooling,) Smashed Grilled Yukon Gold Potatoes with Cumin Butter, Corn on the cob with Cumin Butter. Here are the recipes for you:

 Tandori Style Grilled Shrimp

 ©Devany Vickery-Davidson 2002

Mix up this base seasoning and store it for up to two months

 

Tandori Seasoning

6 tablespoons hot smoked paprika
2 tablespoons whole coriander toasted and ground
2 tablespoons whole cumin toasted and ground

2 tablespoons fennel seeds toasted and ground

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (I use my own smoked Hawaiian salt)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons ground sumac (optional, if you cannot find it omit it)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Add the following and mix well:

The seasoning mix

1 cup of organic yogurt

5 cloves of garlic finely pureed in a food processor or mortar and pestle

Juice & zest of one lemon or lime

A 2” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and ground up in a food processor (you can do this with the garlic) or mortar and pestle.

This mixture will marinate up to 2# of chicken thighs or shrimp/prawns or fish.

Stir all together and place in a zip lock bag for 2-3 hours.

Place on a well oiled grill that has been pre-heated and cook through. Chicken will take much longer than fish or shrimp.

Naan

INGREDIENTS:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic(optional) or 4 tablespoons sautéed finely chopped onion

1/4 cup butter, melted

METHOD:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.

Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy.

Stir in jaggery, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough.

Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth.

Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and set aside to rise.

Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic or onion if using.

Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned.

Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, place in foil wrapped with a towel and continue the process until all the Naan has been prepared.

The dough will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator if you do not want to use it all at once. I prefer to make these fresh for each meal. Though if there are any leftover, you will see me eating them for breakfast with the chutney.

Cilantro and Mint Chutney

This EASY EASY basic chutney is perfect for using as a dipping sauce with cutlets and samosas or to serve with main course dishes like biryani. I love it on Naan.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 bunch fresh mint (sometimes I use two bunches if they are small)

·         1 bunch fresh coriander/cilantro (or equal amount to mint)

·         1 Tablespoon each coriander and cumin seeds, toasted and ground

·         6-8 cloves garlic

·         1" piece of ginger

·         2 green Serrano or Hawaiian chilies more if you are a fire mouth like me

·         1 Tablespoon grated jaggery or palm sugar

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         3 Teaspoons lime juice

Method:

·         Cut off roots from both mint and coriander, peel garlic and ginger and remove stalks from green chilies then cut into chunks. Wash all these ingredients thoroughly.

·         Grind these and all the remaining ingredients into a smooth paste in a food processor. You can add yoghurt to the recipe in varying proportions. I usually add ¼ cup but if you want more of a riata, add 1 cup. I made both versions for this meal.

·         Chill and serve.

Smashed grilled Yukon Gold Potatoes with Cumin Butter

Microwave or Bake the potatoes till they are just barely soft. DO NOT overcook or they will fall apart.

Smash slightly so that they are about ½ of an inch thick.

Baste with butter that has been seasoned with some ground cumin.

Put on a hot grill and turn after 3-4 minutes. Baste again and add sea salt and cracked black pepper. Cook another 4-5 minutes and remove from the grill. 

Crab Cakes!

I have loved crab cakes ever since I lived in coastal Beaufort, South Carolina. There, I would put traps out off of my dock, baited with chicken necks and haul in a bushelful whenever I did so. Then I had an outside stove and picnic table. I would boil the crabs and pour them out on newspapers where my kids and I would spend hours picking & cleaning the sweet blue crabs. Today I am at the mercy of the fishmonger or in a pinch I will buy a can of quality lump crab. I made these crab cakes for dinner, but since there were only two of us dining, I made the remaining mixture into appetizer sized cakes and froze them. When I am in need of a quick appetizer I can thaw and sauté them in short order. I served the crab cakes over an arugula salad and with a side of Mango Mustard that my friend Janet gave me a recipe for. I also keep a tub of chipotle mayo (just put 2-3 chipotles in adobo in a food processor with a cup of fresh home made mayo & process till the chiles are totally incorporated) in the refrigerator and often use it or wasabi mayo with crab cakes.

Papaya Mustard

Here is the really simple recipe... go for it!

Ingredients:

1# of good quality lump crab meat, cleaned
Zest from a Meyer Lemon (or Eureka if you can't find a Meyer)
1/8 cup of fresh lemon juice (Meyer is preferred)
2 plump shallots, minced finely
1/4 cup of fresh minced herbs, in this case I used garlic chives, chives, chervil & flat leaf parsley
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Japanese Panko crumbs (I use the honey panko for this, but plain are fine too)
Lots of freshly grated black pepper

Method:
Stir all together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Form into cakes of any size.. for entree portions I make them about 3" across, for appetizers about 1.5" across. Place the cakes on waxed paper as you are forming them. They can be chilled in the refrigerator or frozen at this point, or cooked immediately.

In a large frying pan, gently melt 2/3 stick of butter. When the butter has melted, add the crab cakes, being careful not to crowd them. Let the cakes sauté  until you see a rim of golden crust forming at the bottom of the cakes. Do not try and turn them until they have formed this crust or they will stick to the bottom and fall apart.

Turn the cakes and allow them to brown on the other side. Remove to a rack to rest for a minute and then serve.

Seafood Farmer's Market in Kona

On Friday April 29th I attended the National Energy Labs Hawaii second Seafood Farmer's Market. It was 100% local and 100% awesome. It is billed as the first market of eco friendly sustainably raised seafood in the world. Another first for Hawaii. Lucky us!

Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa gave a demonstration on cooking the beautiful farmed abalone in a browned butter sauce. This is a technique that I took home with my abalone and recreated for an appetizer. Simply, you take butter, add garlic and shallots, then some chopped parsley, some capers and then a bit of white wine. Simmer to reduce the sauce slightly then toss in the sauteed slices of pounded abalone. The abalone was pounded and then dipped in flour and an egg wash before being flash fried in canola oil. 

The prawns I bought were the main star of my dinner. I marinated them in a sate marinade and  then grilled them and served them on bamboo rice. I did the abalone as an appetizer and started a collection of the shells. 

This market is a service to the local community and an astounding 2000 people showed up for the first one in April, which surprised the vendors so much they ran out of seafood. Now the market also features local produce, honey and other products. Mark your calendar for the last Friday of the month. Get there early! 

There are many vendors that I regularly buy from at NELHA (aside from the market) and there are tours of various vendors there during the month. Click here to see what is available to the public. 

Wordless Wednesday : Oysters Half Shell Happiness