Steamed Seafood Laulau
One of the most traditional of Hawaiian dishes, laulau originally consisted of salted meat and fish wrapped in luau leaves (the green tops of the taro plant), then in ti leaves, and steamed in an imu, the traditional underground oven. This updated version is lighter. Aluminum foil, banana leaves, or corn husks may replace the ti leaves.
Ingredients
- Herb Sauce
- Mayonnaise - 1 1/2 Cup
- Soy Sauce - 1 tablespoon
- Dill - 1 tablespoon snipped fresh
- Laulau
- Carrotts - 2, peeled and cut into fine julienne
- Zucchini - 2, cut into fine julienne
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 1 cup slices stemmed fresh
- Ti leaves - 8
- Squid - 8 small, cleaned
- Shrimp - 8 large, peeled and deveined
- Sea scallops - 8
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the herb sauce: Mix the mayonnaise, soy sauce, and dill together and set aside.
To make the laulau: Mix the carrots and zucchini together and divide into 4 portions. Divide the mushrooms into 4 portions. Remove the hard rib from the ti leaves to make them flexible, or microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Lay one ti leaf across another at right angles to form an X (if using foil, spread four 8-inch squares of foil on a work surface). Dividing the ingredients among the packets, place vegetable mixture in the center of the leaves and top with two pieces each of squid, shrimp, and scallops. Add salt and pepper. Spread 1 or 2 tablespoons of sauce on the seafood and top with mushrooms. Gather up the ti leaves or foil to make packets and tie with string or another leaf. Place in a steamer, cover, and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes.
To serve: If using leaves, place a bundle on each serving plate. If using foil, unwrap and place the food and juices from a single packet on each plate.
