Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken & Ohelo Berry Sauce

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken with Ohelo Berry & Pineapple Sauce

I have been working on some Ohelo Berry ideas for the USDA. They are experimenting with growing them as a crop for the first time. This is one of many recipes that I developed using the ohelo berry. Unless you live in Hawaii, you are out of luck for sourcing this berry. It grows wild in mid-high elevations here. It is much like a cross between a cranberry and a currant. It has a slight tangy taste with sweet after notes, but does not  have a huge stand alone flavor on it's own. Thanks to Nancy Botticelli of Waimea for providing me with an abundance of her beautiful limes to play with too. 

Marinade: 

1/2 cup tequilla

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup of honey slightly heated

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts or thighs. 

Sauce: 

1/4 cup finely diced shallots

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup of reserved marinade with 1 tablespoon cornstarch stirred in

1/2 cup grilled pineapple cut into medium dice (about the size of the berries.) 

1/2 cup Ohelo Berries (whole)

Marinate chicken in the marinade for 30-45 minutes (no more or the lime will start breaking down the chicken.)

Remove chicken from the marinade and prepare the sauce by adding all ingredients and cooking on low heat till slightly thickened. Keep out the Ohelo Berries till just before serving to maintain color and texture. 

Grill the chicken and then serve with the sauce. 

ACF Chef's Luncheon at Keauhou

Last week, the Kona Kohala Chef's Association had their monthly luncheon meeting at the Keauhou Beach Resort. Chef Cy Yamamoto put on quite the spread featuring an abundance of local products from Hawaii Island.

It started off with a talk in the kitchen by Chef Cy and his former boss, Chef Trask. They discussed sourcing and utilizing local products. Some of which were Hamakua Mushrooms, Ohelo Berries & Kuahiwi Ranch Premium Free-range Island Beef.

The menu for the luncheon included a Big Island Bounty Salad and Tropical Fruit Bar featuring an array of fresh and grilled island produce with an assortment of condiments and Mango Raspberry Vinaigrette.

The Entrees were Ono with Mango Basil Burre Blanc, Grilled Ginger Scented Chicken with Asian Ohelo Berry Caramel Butter Sauce and Roasted Kona Coffee Seasoned Kuahiwi Ranch Premium Free-range Island Beef with Sweet Soy Hamakua Mushroom Ragout served with Ying and Yang Potato Mash (purple and white mashed potatoes.)

Dessert was an Ohelo Berry Upside Down Cake with a Caramel Sauce.

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.