Canlis Rice recipe recalls famed Waikiki restaurant

I can’t swear to the provenance of this recipe, but I can swear to its deliciousness and to its suitability to a rice-loving place like ours.

Lee Wical wrote in search of a recipe for Canlis Rice, which his wife used to make in the 1950s. His request was published here in my annual New Year’s call-out for recipes that have proved difficult to find.

Enter Brenda Abe. "About in 1974-’75 I went to dinner at a friend’s house and she served an excellent rice dish. I asked her for the recipe and I’ve been serving it ever since for special occasions, including this past Thanksgiving. When she sent me the recipe, it was labeled ‘Canlis Rice.’"

Canlis Restaurant, opened in 1954 by Peter Canlis, was a white-tablecloth institution in Waikiki for more than 40 years. It’s gone now, but another Canlis, in Seattle, remains open, run by two of Peter’s grandsons. The rice is not on the menu there, but Chris Canlis, Peter’s son, looked over Abe’s recipe and said it looks similar to what was served in Waikiki.

He said the dish was a version of Lebanese rice pilaf, served with lamb chops. The one change he would make to Abe’s recipe is to leave out the Tabasco.

The rice is baked in a casserole dish but gets its start on the stovetop, where onions and garlic are sauteed in a generous amount of butter. The recipe calls for consomme, which is chicken or beef stock clarified through a long simmering process that removes impurities to leave a clear soup. Campbell’s makes a condensed beef consomme, but if you can’t find it, use chicken or beef broth. Abe uses chicken; I tested the recipe using beef.

Abe says she actually adds more Tabasco, as her family likes the taste, so I’ve left that in the recipe. But I think the dish really owes its tastiness to the butter.

Abe says she has always used medium-grain white rice, but the recipe could be made with long-grain, brown or even wild rice. Just keep in mind that longer-grained rice will end up firmer in texture, unless you increase the liquid.

A final tip from Abe: "You can save prep time by making it a couple of hours ahead, then popping it in the oven when your guests arrive."

CANLIS RICE

1/4 cup butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

4-8 drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)

Dash salt

2 (14.5-ounce) cans consomme, chicken or beef broth

2 cups rice

1 cup water

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in skillet. Add garlic and onion; saute briefly. Add hot sauce, salt and 1 can consomme. Simmer a few minutes.

Wash rice in large (2-1/2 to 3-quart) casserole dish; drain. Add water, remaining can consomme and contents of skillet. Stir (dish will be nearly full but won’t boil over).

Bake covered 40-50 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from oven, uncover and stir. Let sit a few minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving (not including optional Tabasco): 250 calories, 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 5 g protein

——

Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Write "By Request," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.