Come Join a “Summer Soiree” in Celebration of Fine Wine and Food

The 29^th Annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival Returns to Kapalua Resort, June 24 – 27, 2010. Hawai‘i’s longest-running wine and food event returns! Everyone will get an up-close look at the latest trends in food, wine, and Hawai’i Cuisine all within the breathtaking setting of the world-renowned Kapalua Resort.

Returning host, Master Sommelier Fred Dame will bring several of the world’s most famous winemakers, master sommeliers and celebrated chefs to wine tastings, a gourmet cooking demonstration and festive gala functions held throughout the weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua.

For the first time, the four-day event themed “Summer Soiree” will highlight Hawaii’s Regional Cuisine and embrace the “Farm to Fork” concept through an exciting new partnership with the Maui County Farm Bureau. Chef DK Kodama, owner of DK Restaurants will be the featured Festival Chef and delight participants during Sunday’s highly anticipated luncheon “DK’s Secrets: Sansei-Style.”  Chef Peter Merriman, owner of Merriman’s in Kapalua, will also featured preparing “Smoked Opah with Sweet Corn Chowder Custard and Tomato Corn Salsa” pictured above. His recipe will follow as well as one one from Chef DK Kodama. For the complete schedule of the fantastic festival events and to purchase tickets go kapalua.com.

Smoked Opah With Sweet Corn Chowder Custard In a Tomato Corn Salsa

This dish will featured at Seafood Festival, June 28, 2010

Chef Peter Merriman uses Kapalua Farm Fresh Eggs, Kula Corn, & House Smoked Bacon. However, any good quality, fresh store bought items can be substituted.

8oz Opah Filet (skinless, boneless)
6oz Wood Shavings (kiawe or guava)

• Place wood shavings in sauce pot.
• Heat with propane to ignite wood, put burner on medium.
• Put fish on foil, put foil on top of fire, and cover with a lid.
• Keep covered for 15 minutes.
• Turn burner down to low.
• Remove fish.

For Custard

2 eggs
2 yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½  cups Corn stock (corn stock: one quart of water, 3 ears of roasted corn and one Maui onion sliced, cooked for an hour and then strained, alternatively you can use a good chicken stock)
¼ cup chopped Maui onion
¼ cup Kula corn
1 tbsp fine chopped slab bacon
2 tbsp diced celery
1 piece garlic
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch fennel seed.

• Sweat onion, garlic, celery, corn, pepper flakes, fennel seed, and bacon for 10 minutes on low heat.
• Add corn stock reduced by half.
• Add cream, temper eggs.
• Pour liquid into buttered custard ramekin.
• Place ramekins in water bath
• Cover with Foil
• Bake at 320°F for approx 30 minutes or until custard is firm

Topping

½ cup sweet corn
1 tsp fine diced and crisped slab bacon
½ tsp chopped chives
Flaked Smoked Opah
Brunoise cut of 1 tbsp purple sweet potatoes
2 tbsp fine chopped tomatoes

• Saute all above ingredients with 2 tbsp butter in sauté pan
• Add Salt & Pepper
• Put on top of custard

DK’s Secrets: Sansei-Style

Add one part Japanese, one part Pacific Rim, one part Hawaiian Regional Cuisine…and you get Hawaiian Fusion.  But that’s nothing without world-renowned Chef DK Kodama’s inspiration! The master has provided recipes for  his innovative cuisine. Experience the Hawaiian culinary movement!

• Kona Cold Sous Vide Lobster “Farm to Table” Salad with Waipoli Hydroponic Greens, Big Island Hearts of Palm, Citrus Gelee, and Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves 2

1 each Kona Cold Lobster Tail – meat removed from shell
2 Tbsp Clarified Butter – melted
1 Tbsp White Wine
3-4 Fresh Tarragon Leaves
3 cups Fresh Waipoli Greens
1/4 cup Big Island Hearts of Palm – sliced 1/4″
1/4 cup Harcot Verts – bias cut 1” lengths and blanched
6-8 Ho Farms Cherry Tomatoes – cut in half
1 Tbsp Citrus Gelee (recipe follows)
3 Tbsp Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Place lobster tail in a heavy duty zip lock bag.  Add the melted butter, white wine and tarragon.  Seal tightly, removing as much as the air as possible from the bag.  Bring water to a simmer, then reduce to a very low heat – 160 degrees.  Place lobster bag in water and slowly cook the lobster tail until it is just done.  Remove, cool and slice.

• Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette

1/2 cup Vinegar, Sherry
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Maui Onion
1 1/2 cups Olive Oil

Combine and mix together all the ingredients except the oil.  Slowly add and whisk in the oil until emulsified.  Chill.

• Citrus Gelee

1 cup Seasonal Fresh Citrus Juice (Tangerine, Blood Orange, Orange)
2 sheets Gelatin

Soften the sheets in warm water.  Heat citrus juice, add and dissolve the gelatin sheets.  Pour into a small pan to a thickness of 1/4”.  Chill until the gelatin sets.  Cut onto 1/4″ cubes.  Refrigerate.

To Plate

Dress greens with sherry shallot vinaigrette, place in the center of the serving plate.  Sprinkle top with the tomatoes, harcot verts and hearts of palm.

Place lobster meat slices on top of the salad greens.  Top with the citrus gelee and a drizzle of dressing.  Serve.

Tagged as: Festival, Food, kapalua, Ritz Carlton Kapalua, Seafood Festival, wine, Wine Seminars, Wine Tasting