December 11th, 2007
So what is Hawaiian food? And - Huli Huli chicken!
When I say “Hawaiian food” I bet you start thinking of a luau. Big roast pig, sticky poi, and people eating in the sand. But the truth is that island food is so much more than that. Polynesian food is a melting pot of so many influences - Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Samoan, Thai, Vietnamese and so much more. And don’t forget the spam!
So on this blog I want to talk about all the various types of food I saw on my trips to Hawaii - and ways to make your next meal feel like a tiny little trip to the tropics. Don’t worry, it’s easy to do and most of the ingredients aren’t that exotic!
To start with, why not try something easy and delicious - Huli Huli chicken, which is the Hawaiian version of the classic Barbecued Chicken you probably eat every summer. You will need:
Ingredients:
- 4-5 lbs chicken pieces. Leave the skin on!
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons sherry
- 1 piece ginger root, crushed
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
Directions:
Wash and dry the chicken pieces.
Whisk all other ingredients in bowl and brush on to your chicken.
Grill the chicken over barbecue skin side up, turning and basting with sauce until it is done (about 40 minutes). Broiling is also fine (skin side up, 10 minutes per side), but you won’t get that authentic “smoky” taste! If cooking your chicken indoors I find a drop or two of liquid smoke in the sauce can be a help to get some of that outdoor taste back into the chicken.
Side dishes - macaroni salad, some taro bread, and a nice tall glass of guava or pineapple juice!