Island Cooking : Hawaii’s Melting-Pot Cookery

With its Chinese, Japanese, Polynesian, Portuguese and American influences, Hawaiian cuisine is often described as complex melting-pot cookery. In reality it offers simple tastes with minimal spicing and easy preparation. The entrees themselves, which are not necessarily colorful, can be attractive when embellished with exotic fruits and flowers. Here are two dishes chosen from a selection of favorite foods sent in by Janet Martin, who was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii.

NORI CHICKEN

2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon hot bean paste

Oil for deep-frying

1 (.28-ounce) package nori (seasoned roasted seaweed) strips

Dipping Sauce, optional

Bone and skin chicken thighs. Cut meat into 40 bite-size pieces. Combine cornstarch, sweet rice flour, sugar and salt in bowl and mix well. Stir in garlic, green onions, eggs, soy sauce and hot bean paste. Marinate chicken overnight in mixture.

Wrap 1 nori strip around each chicken piece. Heat oil to 350 degrees in deep fryer. Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Dipping Sauce. Makes 40 appetizers, 6 servings.

Note: Nori is available in Japanese markets.

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon minced green onion

1/8 teaspoon minced peeled ginger root

Combine soy sauce, water, lemon juice, green onion and ginger root. Mix well.

HAOLE LAULAU

3 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork butt, cut in 2-inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon salt

Pepper

1 (1-pound, 13-ounce) can yams, drained

1/4 cup butter

Place 1 1/2 packages spinach in 13x9-inch baking dish. Rub pork with garlic, salt and season to taste with pepper. Add pork to spinach. Top with remaining spinach.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil and arrange yams on top of spinach. Dot with butter. Continue baking, covered, another 30 minutes. Makes about 8 servings.