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Cook Islands Recipes

supplied by Mereana Hutchinson, Rarotonga
 

Moana-Roa Mahimahi

( any white fish such as Parrot, Paara, Snapper, Cod etc)
Mahimahi Fish Fillet, poached in coconut cream and served atop rukau/taro leaves with seasonal kinaki (taro, kumara, boiled green banana, kuru) Garnish with crispy fried slivers of ginger and citrus zest and fresh lime.
200 grams Fresh Mahimahi fillet
2 cups coconut cream (fresh made or canned )
1 cup rooked rukau (taro leaves) or uncooked rukau
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, diced
Lemons/limes slivers/zest/wedge/slice
Fresh ginger slivers
Seasoning ( fresh ground pepper, salt,)
Kinaki, cooked and sliced however you wish
Vegetable oil

In heavy pan heat small amount oil and sautee and sweat diced onion and 1 crushed garlic till cooked, add taro leaves with 1 cup coconut cream, season with salt and pepper and allow to simmer till tender and cooked thoroughly. Add more coconut cream as needed. Finish with a squeeze of lemon. Keep warm. Rukau needs a slow and long cooking time or pressure cooked in less time.

Sautée and sweat diced onion and 1 clove crushed garlic with little oil in a poaching pan till transparent, clean and dry mahimahi, rub with salt and pepper, place in same poaching pan with cup coconut cream, cover with lid and heat to simmering, 12 minutes to 15minutes depending on thickness of fillet, check for doneness, must be completely white and cooked through, not rare.

Heat oil in small skillet and fry to crispy tablespoon each of fresh ginger and lemon/lime skin or any fresh citrus zest.

By now the rukau and fish fillet should be done and moist. You can allow the coconut cream in fish to burn a little as this gives it a wonderful burnt coconut scent and flavour.

Plate-up. In a warm large dinner plate, spoon rukau to off centre in a mound and then place mahimahi fillet on top and spoon all the jus over to spill onto the rest of plate. To the side of this off centred placement, arrange the kinaki of your choice.

Garnish. Sprinkle crispy slivers of fresh ginger and lemon zest on fish with fresh ground pepper. Arrange lemon/lime wedge or slices onto kinaki. Be creative for eye appeal. This dish is sometimes very bland to look at but the white of the fish against the dark green of rukau is quite good. The white coconut cream around the base of the mound and depending on the kinaki you have for accompaniment, it could look a bit more colourful. The yellow of the lemon will give it a crisp appeal.

The taste of this dish is very satisfying. It is subtle and can encourage you to give fish its rightful place in your dietary habits. Coconut cream is a very common ingredient for our cuisine. Rukau is our staple green vegetable. We have many other choices of green vegetables now, however the rukau is still the most preferred and the most high in iron nutrient. The kinaki varieties make our cuisine interesting. When the choice of kinaki takes your attention you may be forgiven for ignoring the choice of fish. This recipe allows for any fish. The texture of the kinaki is a good contrast to the smooth and moist rukau and succulent fish. This is a very popular dish with our diners at Blue Note Café.

 

 


 
© M. Hutchinson 

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