Ulu and Leek Soup

by ACF Chef Peter Merriman

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients:

4 ounces canola oil or butter

1 onion, peeled, medium dice, about 12 ounces

• 3 leeks, medium size, whites only, medium dice, washed well

• 3 pieces garlic clove, sliced thin

Shave ice is a dessert every kid in Hawaii grows up with. For Chef KarrUeoka’s signature version, called Makaha mango shave ice, rather than shaving a regular block of ice, she purees fresh mango, freezes it and shaves that. “It’s like making a granité,” she says. She places a layer of panna cotta on bottom followed by tapioca, fresh mango and mango/lemongrass sorbet and then tops it with the shaved mango.

Malasadas are a stand-out dessert in Hawaii thanks to the Portuguese. A malasada is similar to a raised yeast donut hole that is deep fried and rolled in sugar. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, heading into Lenten season, is called Malasada

• 8-10 ounces ulu (breadfruit), steamed, peeled, seed removed, medium dice

• 2 teaspoons each salt and pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup dry vermouth

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon lemon juice

• Optional: coconut milk, to taste

Method:

1. In a pot, heat oil/butter. Add onion, leeks, garlic and ulu. Reduce heat to medium and stir. Cook for about 7 minutes.

2. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and chili pepper flakes. Stir and cook 1 minute.

3. Add vermouth and reduce by half.

4. Add stock and lemon juice. Continue to cook on medium-low. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

5. Pour soup into blender. Puree on high speed for about 1.5 minutes with lid on tight.

6. Remove from blender. If the soup is too thick, add additional liquid, such as coconut milk. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Chopped shrimp, chives and croutons can also be used for garnish.

To learn more about ulu (breadfruit), visit WeAreChefs.com

Day among Catholics. “They made malasadas to use up the eggs, butter and lard in the house,” Namkoong says. She points to Honolulu’s Leonard’s Bakery for making the malasada/Lent connection famous in Hawaii by building its business around it.

Mochi is also a common dessert, both in homes and restaurants, not just in Japanese and Chinese circles, but among many other Asian Hawaiians. “There are very specific types we love here in Hawaii,” Chef Maii says. “Butter mochi and chocolate mochi are the most popular.”

While the sticky glutinous rice dessert is typically a pan affair, “once a year around New Year, it is fashioned into balls and stuffed with red bean paste or sweetened peanut butter or chocolate,” she says. Butter mochi often includes the use of evaporated, whole or coconut milk.

Comfort Foods Of Hawaii

For those raised in Hawaii, certain foods stand out as musthaves. Chef Maii notes that Hawaii comfort food resembles comfort food in the mainland South. Mayonnaise-bound salads, molded Jell-O of all flavors, Ambrosia salad and baked goods are examples, she says.

During World War II, canned meats became a staple on tables in Hawaii out of necessity when supplies and shipments