Baked Ahi Recipes From Hawaii

CHEF JOHN'S HAWAIIAN-STYLE AHI POKE

Steps:

• Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, sliced onions, macadamia nuts, seaweed, pepper flakes, and salt together in a bowl.
• Place cubed tuna into bowl. Pour in marinade and stir to distribute evenly. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Mix again.
• Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and a sprinkle of lemon or lime juice, or seasoned rice vinegar.

AHI KATSU

Steps:

• Stir together the mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce in a bowl. Set aside.
• Mix flour, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Beat eggs in a second mixing bowl. Put panko in a third mixing bowl.
• Heat several inches oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.
• Dip each ahi fillet into flour mixture, then egg wash, then panko. Deep-fry ahi fillets until golden brown or medium rare, about 3 minutes. Cut fillets into small pieces. Drizzle with teriyaki mayo and sprinkle with furikake.

BAKED HAWAII

Steps:

• For the pineapple: Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the pineapple and its juices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the pineapple has caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the condensed milk and salt; cover and freeze 30 minutes.
• Beat the cream and vanilla bean paste with a stand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the chilled pineapple mixture to loosen it up, then fold in the whipped cream.
• Cut out a 4 1/2-inch round of pound cake using a 1-quart plastic deli/soup container as a cutter; this will be the base of the Hawaii. (If the pound cake is small, you can form the base out of multiple pieces.) Wrap the cake round in plastic and set aside until ready to use.
• Line the quart container with plastic wrap so that 4 inches hang over the sides. Add 2 cups of the pineapple ice cream, smooth the top, cover and freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Freeze the remaining pineapple ice cream for another use.
• Top the pineapple ice cream with the pistachio gelato, pushing it down to fill in all the gaps. Unwrap the pound cake round and press it into the top of the ice cream to make it adhere. Cover the top using the overhanging plastic wrap and freeze until solid, 2 to 3 hours.
• For the honey meringue: Boil the honey, sugar and 1/3 cup water without stirring in a medium saucepan until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer running, carefully pour the hot syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream. (The whites will deflate slightly at first, but as the sugar syrup becomes incorporated, they will thicken, turn white and begin to fluff up.) Continue to whip until very thick and glossy, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a large closed-star tip; set aside until ready to use.
• Use a 2 1/2- and a 1-inch round cutter to cut 2 rounds of pound cake. Pipe a tablespoon of the meringue in the center of a cake stand, then invert the frozen container of ice cream onto the center of the cake stand to unmold it, pressing the pound cake base into the meringue to glue it in place. Pipe a teaspoon of the meringue on the top of the ice cream core and press the 2 1/2-inch cake round on top. Pipe another teaspoon of meringue on the top of that cake round and press the 1-inch cake round on top. Working quickly, pipe a wide band of meringue around the circumference of the ice cream core about 2 inches from the bottom. Pipe another band just above so that the two bands touch. Repeat, making two additional bands forming a thick meringue "belt" in the center of the core. Use a small offset spatula to sculpt and smooth the belt into a pineapple shape, with the widest part in the center and tapering at the top and bottom; use more meringue if necessary. Pipe meringue over the two cake rounds on top and sculpt and smooth to completely cover and form the tapered top of the pineapple. Freeze for 2 hours. Store the remaining meringue in its piping bag at room temperature.
• For the fronds: Place the attached PDF of pineapple fronds on a rimmed baking sheet and place a piece of parchment on top. Melt the candy melts with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil, stirring occasionally, in a heatproof bowl set inside a pot of simmering water. Turn off the heat and transfer 2 tablespoons of the melted candy to a small piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Trace the outside border of the pineapple fronds with the melted candy and freeze to set, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the remaining tablespoon coconut oil into the remaining melted candy in the bowl. Flood the pineapple top by spooning the liquid candy melt into the outlines of the frond. Freeze to harden, about 15 minutes.
• Pipe concentric bands of meringue stars to cover the surface of the pineapple. Freeze 30 minutes. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue, then freeze at least 10 minutes. Keep frozen until ready to serve.
• Right before serving, use a chef's knife to cut a 2-inch slit in the top of the pineapple. Insert the candy fronds into the slit and serve.

AHI KATSU

Steps:

• Heat a few tablespoons of the cooking oil of your choice over medium high heat. Ensure you have enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
• While the oil is heating up you can prep the fish.
• You'll need 3 plates for your breading station. To one plate add garlic salt, pepper, and flour. Mix until combined. To another plate add eggs and whisk until combined. To the last plate add the panko.
• Now to bread the ahi. Dip the ahi in the flour mixture and ensure all sides of the ahi are coated. Then dip in eggs, again ensuring the whole fish is coated. And lastly dip in the panko mix covering the whole fish.
• Place the fish in the oil at 350F and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
• While the fish is frying you can make the dipping sauce. Add mayonnaise, unagi sauce, and garlic to a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
• Serve ahi with rice and macaroni salad and drizzle the sauce over the top. Enjoy!