LCC gala celebrates 10th anniversary

Leeward Community College celebrates the 10th anniversary of its signature fundraising event, L‘ulu, featuring 10 alumni from the LCC culinary arts program now working at Hawaii’s top restaurants.

“Feast of the Senses” is this year’s theme for the on-campus event, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. May 6. Chefs will partner with local farmers, fishermen, ranchers and food producers, featuring a particular local food item in their dishes.

Proceeds from L‘ulu support the culinary arts program. Admission is $100 through April 30; $125 thereafter. For information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Fabi Castellano at 455-0300 or fabiola@hawaii.edu, or Tommylynn Benavente at 455-0298 or tlbenave@hawaii.edu.

This week, enjoy some recipes shared by LCC chef-instructors.

Turkey Ciabatta with Tomato Aioli

Matt Egami, instructor, Fundamentals for Cookery II, Ala ‘Ike Grill

• 4 (4-ounce) ciabatta rolls, halved
• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• 1 cup mesclun mix (available at supermarkets and farmers markets)
• 12 slices (3 ounces each) roast turkey
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• 8 pieces bacon, fried until crisp
• 4 slices Provolone cheese
• Chips and pickles, for garnish
• >> Sun-dried tomato aioli:
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

To make aioli: Combine ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Spread bread halves with clarified butter and place on baking sheet. Toast in oven for 2 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Spread aioli evenly over bread halves. Evenly stack mesclun, turkey, avocado, bacon and cheese on bottom slices. Cover with top slices. Cut sandwiches in half diagonally. Serve with chips and pickles. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including aioli, chips and pickles): 800 calories, 44 g total fat, 16 g saturated fat, 155 mg cholesterol, 1,300 mg sodium, 57 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 46 g protein

Approximate nutritional information, per tablespoon aioli: 70 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 1 g protein

Chinese Seasoned Shoyu

Linda Yamada-Okamura, instructor, Asian/Continental Cuisines and Asian/Continental Cuisines Pop-Up

• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 stalks green onion, bruised
• 1/4 cup Chinese parsley, roughly
• chopped
• 1 cup low-sodium shoyu
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Pour oils into a heavy-bottom saucepan. Add ginger and garlic; cook over medium heat until light brown (add more oil if necessary). Add green onions and parsley; let ingredients caramelize and begin to dehydrate.

Add shoyu, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to allow flavors to develop.

Strain out solids, if desired, and use over steamed fish or vegetables, tofu, salads, or in stir fry. Makes about 2-1/2 cups.

Approximate nutritional information, per tablespoon: 20 calories, 1 g total fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 1 g sugar, no protein

Garlic Buttered Kona Abalone, Coconut Luau Leaf Sauce, Pipikaula

Chris Garnier, instructor, Contemporary Cuisines

• 4 pieces Kona abalone (12 count size, in shell)
• 2 teaspoon canola/olive oil blended
• Garlic butter sauce (recipe follows)
• 8 ounces pipikaula meat, julienne cut, for garnish

Remove abalone from packaging and leave whole in its shell. Under cold running water, clean with a soft, non-abrasive kitchen scrub, leaving abalone intact. Scrub “foot” (suction) area of the abalone to remove excess grit. Do not cut out or discard viscera. Pat each abalone dry; set aside.

In a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat, add oil and place abalone in pan, shell up and sautea about 1-1/2 -2 minutes until “foot” of abalone is light golden brown. Remove from pan immediately. On a cutting board, place abalone on its shell, and with a small spoon, remove abalone by scooping it out of its shell keeping the eye, snout and viscera intact. With a small pairing knife, cut and remove the eye, snout and remaining viscera so that only the “foot” meat is left. Cut abalone meat in half lengthwise. Immediately place meat in the garlic butter and prepare to serve.

Place cooked luau leaf sauce on the bottom of a large plate. Toss abalone pieces in garlic butter than place in center of plate in the luau leaf sauce. Garnish with pipikaula. Serves 4.

Garlic Butter Sauce

• 6 ounces white wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced
• 6 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley
• Salt and ground white pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, combine vinegar and minced shallot. Reduce liquid au sec (nearly dry). Add cream and reduce until cream is nappe (coats back of a wooden spoon), immediately turn heat to low. Slowly incorporate unsalted butter, a teaspoon at a time, until all the butter is incorporated (buerred) into the cream reduction. Strain out shallots and season with salt and white pepper. Add minced raw garlic and minced parsley and place sauce in a warm area on top of stove.

Luau Leaf Sauce

• 2 pounds luau leaves, cleaned and stems removed
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 quarts coconut milk
• 1 1/2 ounces fish sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Cook luau leaves in a large pot with water until the oxalic acid crystals are broken down, at least 45 minutes.

Saute garlic and ginger and deglaze with fish sauce. Reduce fish sauce by half. Add coconut milk and brown sugar and reduce liquid by half. Adjust with more fish sauce and brown sugar. Strain out cooked luau leaves and chop. Immediately fold luau leaves into coconut milk mixture.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.