Lomi Lomi Salmon and Chicken Katsu

Two months ago, I was sitting on a beach in Maui. 82 and sunny on Christmas. Blerggggggg. Obviously, being in Boston certainly makes for a dour life, and I’m always wishing I could hop a plane and fly back. Yet in spite of the horrid cold weather that defines not-Hawaii, I’m livening it up around here with a little island flair.

First off, a little Hawaiian lingo lesson. In the 808, food is referred to as “grinds.” When it’s good, you say “ono grinds.” When it’s rEeEeEeEaL good, you say that it “broke da mouth.” As in, “Ohh mannn brah, that lomi lomi salmon broke da mouth!”

That said, for something that’s always breaking mouths errrywhere, lomi lomi salmon is pretty simple to make. However, the thing is that it requires some significant planning. Salting the salmon takes at least a few days, and on the day of, it’s a good idea to soak it for a couple hours unless you really love saltiness.

Also, although I suppose normal sea salt could be used, Hawaiian alaea sea salt is a little expensive and hard to find outside the islands (I get mine from MySpiceSage). The salt gets its reddish-brown color from the volcanic Hawaiian clay and has a slightly different taste than normal salt because of the many minerals in the clay.

Chicken katsu is less exotic and isn’t all that Hawaiian, but the crazy melting pot society that defined the islands during the sugarcane plantation era led to a lot of imported cuisine. Nowadays, it’s found all over, especially in the touristy areas where mainlanders are hesitant to try the local food. Lomi lomi salmon is usually served as a side dish, so I got a little chicken katsu up in this joint.

About the rice: in the 808 food is served with two balls of rice without fail. Ice cream scooper style, plopped down on the plate. Don’t ask me why, that’s just the custom. Also common is a ball of macaroni salad plopped down next to the rice.

• ~1lb salmon
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium sized onion, preferably of the Maui or Vidalia sweet varieties
• 3 stalks of green onion
• Alaea sea salt (a Hawaiian sea salt that contains red clay)
• Pepper

• Chicken cutlets
• Panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper

In a glass dish, dump enough alaea sea salt to cover the entire surface of the fish and then some. Place the fish flesh side down into the salted dish. Press the fish a little to ensure as much contact with the salt as possible. Seal the dish with saran wrap and refridgerate for at least 3 days. Check periodically, as the salt will draw a lot of the water out of the fish; when this happens, drain the water and add a dash more salt.

Take the dish out of the fridge and drain any water. Soak the salmon in cold water for about 2 hours to ensure that the fish isn’t too salty. Using a sharp knife, slice the flesh away from the skin. “Lomi lomi” means “massage” so the next step is to tease apart the fish with your hands. Gently break off little chunks of fish; this can be aided (in the slightly cheater way) by first slicing the filet and then breaking apart the slices. Put the chunks of salmon into a bowl and set aside. Dice the tomatoes and the onion and throw them into the bowl. Chop the green onion all the way down to the light green part and throw them into the bowl. Add a tiny dash of pepper. Massage the mixture further until all ingredients are broken up and thoroughly mixed. Chill until serving.

Set out a plate of flour with a bit of salt and pepper and a plate of panko bread crumbs. Beat the egg in a bowl for egg wash. Swish the chicken around in the egg wash and then briefly coat with flour. Transfer the chicken to the bread crumbs and cover the entire surface with bread crumbs. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a frying pan (smaller is better, so you don’t have to use such a large volume of oil). Place - do not drop! - the chicken into the oil and deep-fry, about 3-4 minutes per side. Take the chicken out and pat down with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve with a bit of tonkatsu sauce.