Spreading Aloha Through Music And Food
This fern shoot salad combines lots of local favorites Hawaiian music is alive and well with the help of Kuana Torres Kahele.
Once-upon-a-time hula dancer and singer with the group Na Palapalai, Kuana has been on a roll touring and spreading aloha through his music. He is a seasoned traveler and has experienced good food. When he joined us in the kitchen he wanted to share some of his childhood favorites, and I was right there ready to eat.
Hoio or fern shoot salad is simple, ono and a must-have with any Hawaiian meal.
This fern shoot salad includes lots of local favorites
PHOTO FROM COOKING HAWAIIAN STYLE
HOIO (FERN SHOOT) SALAD
• 2 bunches hoio (warabi fern)
• 2 1.5-ounce bags soft cuttlefish, chopped
• 5 tomatoes, diced
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 2 packages gobo fishcake
• 3-4 small red Hawaiian chili peppers, minced
• 1 package kamaboko
• 1/3 cup oyster sauce
• Hawaiian salt, to taste
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
Clean and wash hoio thoroughly. Make sure all hair is removed from fern. Gently bend hoio. If the hoio is soft and flexible, it is an edible portion. Hard portions are tough, typically the bottom third, and must be cut off. Cut hoio into 1-inch pieces and place into a large bowl or pan for soaking. Boil large pan of water and pour over hoio enough to totally cover. Soak five minutes. Drain in the sink and flush with cool water. Return to bowl/pan for icewater bath to cool fern pieces quickly and completely.This keeps fern crisp and not slimy for the salad.After 30minutes,drainwaterthoroughlyandleavehoioinbowl.Addtomato, cuttlefish, chili pepper and onion to drained hoio. Cut gobo/fishcake in half and then into thin 1-inch pieces. Cut kamoboko into thin pieces. Add both to mixture.
Stir mixture, adding sesame oil, oyster sauce and Hawaiian salt, to taste. Mix well by hand. Put into a large Ziploc bag and allow to marinate, refrigerated, one to two hours prior to serving.
Watch new episodes of Cooking Hawaiian Style Monday night at 7:30 p.m. HST on OC16 channels 12 and 1012. Get all of these recipes on CookingHawaiian Style.com.
