Sponsored by Hawaii Gas
Ever wondered what a chef really eats at home? Well, HI Now got a special invitation to the home of Chef Colin Hazama of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to get a taste of some upscale local comfort food!
Recipe: Kamanu Fish Jun
+ Kim Chee Watercress Namul + Sesame Aromatic Tea Fried Rice + Ginger Watercress Pesto
Serves 4 People
For the Fish Jun:
2 lbs Kamanu or Mahi Mahi or local Snapper
12 pcs Kamanu 1 1/2oz each (Cut on a bias 1/2 inch thick or slant so fillets are even and flat. This will help to cook fish even and quickly.)
For Marinade:
6 tbspns grape seed oil
4 tbspns Yamasa Shoyu
2 tbspns sugar
2 tbspn sake
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
Start by mixing marinade well then pour marinade on fish fillets and flip fish till they are fully coated. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Next dust lightly with flour and then dip into egg batter
Fish Jun batter procedure:
12 pc portioned fish
4 whole eggs whisked and placed in shallow bowl
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbspn kosher salt
Start by taking marinated fish fillets and dust lightly on both sides of the fish. Then submerge in egg wash, then place on medium high heat about 350 degrees on large Sauté pan add oil for shallow frying and place egg dipped fish be sure not to add too many pieces or they will stick to each other and pan will also cool down causing the fish to steam and not get a nice crust ad won’t stay crispy, so about 6-8 pieces works fine. Cook on each side for about 1 1/2 minutes flip and finish for about the same. Pull out fillets and leave on a plate with paper towel to dry excess oil.
Ginger Watercress Pesto:
1 cup grape seed oil
2 tbspns sesame oil
1/2 cup minced ginger
1/2 cup thin cut green onion
1 cup blanched watercress
1 tsp sambal chili paste
2 tbspns kosher Salt
For the pesto in a small pot add water for blanching. Have two separate bowls, 1 more mixing the ginger, green onions and watercress. The other fill with ice water for cooling down your blanching of the watercress blanch tips and shock and set aside for Namul. Then blanch rest of watercress, shock in ice water and squeeze all excess water out and add to ginger and green onion. Then salt well and add chili paste.then in another small pot add grape seed oil and sesame oil and place on high heat till oil is smoking. Once it’s up to smoking point be careful
And burn the ginger watercress mixture and slowly spin the bowl after hot oil is poured using a metal spoon to mix so all surfaces of the ginger are cooked out. Then cool down. Next in a blender place mixture inside and blend on high speed for about 2-3 minutes till its purées and pesto is formed. Be sure to cool down and then place in a squeeze bottle to plate.
Kim Chee Watercress Namul:
2 cups watercress cut tips saved for garnish Cut in 2inch pieces (lightly blanched)
1 cup of your favorite local Kim Chee rough chopped
Kosher salt
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Rough chop Kim Chee and set in a bowl, take longer watercress that has been blanched and add to Kim Chee Toss with sesame oil, salt, and sesame seeds and set aside.
Aromatic Tea Fried Rice:
2 cups Jasmine rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbspn Jasmine the pearls
2 tbspns Oyster Sauce
1 tbspn Sambal Chili Paste
2 tbspn sesame oil
4 tbspns grape seed oil
1 tbspn Garlic/Minced
1/2 cup Kim Chee chopped
Garnish:
2 tbspn black sesame seeds
2 tbspns sesame seeds
2 tbspns crispy fried garlic
Scallion hairs
Peppers julienne thin
Cilantro sprigs picked
12 pcs Purple radish sliced thin and punch out centers to make rings.
In rice cooker place rice, water, and jasmine tea pearls and set to cook. Once cook take out of rice pot and spread on a plate to cool. Leave overnight and use for fried rice the next day to get a dry and crispy consistency for best results. Next in a wok place heat on high and start with oil add Kim Chee and sauté then add Rice and toss well breaking up clumps so rice gets slightly crisp out the outside. Next add garlic and then finish with the rest of ingredients. Cook and season to taste then add 1 tbspn of sesame garlic mixture to rice and save the rest for garnishing the plate.
To Serve:
12 pcs Fish jun
Kim Chee watercress Namul
Fried Rice
Ginger Watercress pesto
Black sesame & crispy fried garlic mixture
Green onion/cilantro/ red chili threads
Shaved Purple Radish rings (3 per plate)
To Plate:
Place fried rice in a line, then place 3 pieces fish jun per plate shingling the fish by alternating each piece. Next place 2 piles of Namul on fried rice. Then place 3 rings of radish per plate alternating radish. Then place dots on fish placing them randomly so they look like polka-dots. Then garnish with scallion cilantro mixture and crispy garlic sesame seeds. Serve hot and enjoy.