Grown on Maui Cooking Demonstrations

By Wendy Osher

Chef Ryan Luckey, executive chef, Pineapple Grill at Kapalua Resort, will appear on September 26.

Maui chefs will conduct free Grown on Maui cooking demonstrations this month as part of a month-long Agriculture Awareness campaign.

The campaign was launched during the Wailuku First Friday event earlier this month.

“We do this campaign because we believe that agriculture matters on Maui,” said Maui County Farm Bureau executive director Warren Watanabe.

“We continue to drive the message of Maui ag’s important role to Mauiʻs economy, culture/heritage, and everyday lifestyle.”

The cooking demos are held each Monday this month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Whole Foods in Kahului.

Cheg Garret will make Thai curry steamed local snapper and local vegetable lettuce wraps (recipes below).

Caroline Schaub, chef, O’o Farm, scheduled on September 19, will make tofu and grilled vegetables.

Chef Ryan Luckey, executive chef, Pineapple Grill at Kapalua Resort, will appear on September 26. He will make Pistachio and Wasabi Pea Crusted Ahi Steak, Coconut Scented Forbidden Rice, Garlic Asian Greens, Exotic Mushrooms, Wasabi-Soy Butter (recipes below).

Pistachio and Wasabi Pea Crusted Ahi Steak, Coconut Scented Forbidden Rice, Garlic Asian Greens, Exotic Mushrooms, Wasabi-Soy Butter:

Wasabi-Soy Butter:

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 small finger fresh ginger, rough chop
• 1 cup dry sake
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1 tsp prepared wasabi
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp pickled ginger juice

In a small sauce pan, place garlic, ginger, sake and reduce by half, add heavy whipping cream and reduce by half again, add soy sauce and reduce for about 1 minute more, until you achieve a nice thick reduction that has a nice brown color to it, turn heat to low, slowly whisk in butter about a tablespoon at a time. Once all butter has been whisked in, strain or pick out garlic clove and fresh ginger. Whisk in prepared wasabi and pickled ginger juice, season with salt if needed.

Pistachio-Wasabi Pea Crust:

• 1 cup roasted pistachio nuts, de-shelled
• 1 cup wasabi peas
• ¼ cup Furikaki seasoning
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Place nuts and peas in a small food processor and pulse into a coarse mixture. Fold in Furikaki and salt and reserve.

Coconut Forbidden Rice:

• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 small finger ginger
• 1 cup black rice (Chinese forbidden or black Thai rice)
• 1 ½ cups water or stock
• Salt and pepper

In a small pot, combine rice and stock, bring to boil, cover and turn to low, about 20 mins, until rice has steamed out. In a separate pot, bruise lemongrass and add to coconut milk, simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, remove lemongrass stalk, and slowly stir into black rice, making a creamy, risotto like texture, (you may not use all the coconut milk) season with salt and pepper and reserve.

Greens and Mushrooms:

• 4 cups chopped and washed Asian Greens, they can include, Choy sum, Tot Soi, Mizuna, Arugula,
• Spinach, or even Swiss chard
• 2 cups cleaned and chopped exotic mushrooms, they can include, Shiitake, Shemiji, Maytaki, Oyster or even good ole Button mushrooms
• 1 tbl minced garlic
• 2 oz blended olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Assemble:

Season a 5-6 oz Yellow Fin or Big Eye Ahi Steak with salt, place in pistachio-wasabi crust, heat a medium sized skillet to medium-hot, add a small amount of olive oil and immediately place steak in pan, sear about 20 seconds, depending on thickness of steak, keeping ahi nice and rare/cold in middle.

Remove Ahi, place mushrooms in pan, keeping a flat level, and try not to stack shrooms on top of each other, to avoid “steaming” them and pulling out their natural water. Sautee mushrooms for about 20 seconds, until they start to turn a nice golden brown, add greens, gently toss, add garlic and sauté another 20 seconds or so, until they have wilted nicely. Season with a small amount of salt.

Place Coconut Rice in center of plate, place mushroom and greens next to rice, place ahi steak on top of both, spoon your Wasabi-Soy butter around the plate, garnish with pickled ginger or green onions.

Recipe for Thai Curry Steamed Local Snapper and Local Vegetable Lettuce Wraps: (8 portions)

Fish:

• Snapper filet, skin on  8 oz
• Lemongrass, julienne  1T
• Ginger, grated  1 tsp
• Kaffir lime leaves, sliced thin  1 each
• Red curry paste  2 tsp.
• Coconut milk  ½C
• Lime, juiced  1 each
• Hawaiian Salt  pinch
• Ti Leaf, large (as needed)

Lettuce Wrap:

• Lettuce leaves  8 each
• Carrots, julienne  1 oz
• Cucumber  1 oz
• Red pepper  1 oz
• Kula onion  1 oz
• Rice noodles  4 oz. cooked
• Mint, chopped  1 tsp
• Thai basil, chopped  1tsp
• Lime, juiced  1 each
• Soy sauce  1T
• Sesame oil  1T
• Turbinado sugar  pinch

Preparing the Snapper:

Score the flesh side of the fish in ½ inch strips without cutting through the skin.  Combine the lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, red curry paste, coconut milk and lime juice mixing well.  Place the fish in a ti leaf skin side down and cover with the mixture. Steam in a bamboo steamer until done.

Preparing the lettuce wraps:

Combine mint, thai basil, lime, soy sesame oil and sugar to make a dressing. Mix well.  Combine carrots, cucumber, red peppers, kula onions, rice noodles and dressing.  Place a small amount on each lettuce leaf and serve with a piece of fish.  Optional: chopped roasted peanuts.