Moano and Kahuku Prawns with Molokai Sweet Potatoes
Large freshwater Kahuku prawns are farmed on the island of Oahu and are widely popular with Hawaiian chefs, who often cook them whole leaving the heads and whiskers on. Moano is reef fish, a member of the goatfish family. Any white fish with a high fat content can be substituted. Callarec likes to leave the skin on to give the dish a distinctive iodine flavor.
Ingredients
- Molokai sweet potatoes - 4
- Wasabi Aioli
- Egg Yolks - 2
- Garlic Clove - 1
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Wasabi Powder - 1 tablespoon
- Olive Oil - 1 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Lemongrass Bouillabaisse
- Redfish fillet - 8 ounces, or boned white-fleshed fish fillet
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Onion - 1/2 small
- Leek - 1, cut into 3-inch lengths, white part only
- Celery Stalk - 1/2
- Cracked peppercorns - 1/4 teaspoon
- Tomato - 1
- Saffron Threads - 1 teaspoon
- Garlic Clove - 1
- Fresh Parsley - fresh parsley
- Fennel bulb - 1/4
- Fresh thyme sprigs - 1
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Star anise pods - 1
- Lemongrass stalks - 1/2, white part only
- Kaffir lime leaf - 1
- Fresh Ginger - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Dry white wine - 1/2 cup
- Pernod - 1 tablespoon
- Fish Stock (see Basics) or clam juice - 2 cups
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/2 cup
- Salt to taste
- Cornstarch - 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cool water
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Kahuku prawns - 4, or jumbo-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined
- Moano fillets - four, 2-ounce, skin on
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
With a sharp knife, carve a 2-1/2-inch-by-2-inch diameter cylinder out of each potato. Discard the parings. Cook the sweet potato cylinders in boiling salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. With a slotted spoon, remove from the water and drain. Scoop out the center of the potato cylinder with a melon baller. Set aside potato balls for the bouillabaisse.
To make the aioli: Put all the ingredients except the oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and process until frothy. With the machine running, gradually add the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To make the bouillabaisse: Cut the fish into 1-1/2-inch pieces. In a stockpot over high heat, heat the olive oil and saute the fish for 2 minutes, or until it browns lightly on each side. Add the onion, leek, celery, and peppercorns and cook for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomato, saffron, garlic, herbs, spices, wine, and Pernod. Continue to cook until the mixture is reduced to about two thirds its original volume. Add the fish stock or clam juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by one-third again. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the cream is completely incorporated into the sauce. Season with salt and whisk in the diluted cornstarch. Continue to cook until the cornstarch thickens the sauce.
To cook the fish and prawns: In a large saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat the oil and cook the prawns and fillets on both sides until the prawns are pink, the fillet meat flakes, and the skin is crisp, about 40 seconds on each side. Set aside.
To serve: Add the sweet potatoes to the bouillabaisse and simmer to heat through. Place on the plates. Lean 1 fillet and 1 prawn against the sweet potatoes. Put a spoonful of aioli in the hollowed center of each sweet potato. Drizzle the aioli on and around the fish and sweet potatoes.
