Samoa: Oka l’a (Fish Salad), Chicken, Kumera & Red Potato baked in Pineapple Glaze, & Pawpaw & Mango Salad with Coconut Passionfruit dressing
the
independent state of Samoa (previously
know as Western Samoa), is a
unitary democracy in the central South Pacific located
west of the Cook Islands & north of Tonga. Independent
Samoa shares an oceanic island archipelago with
American Samoa (previously known as Eastern Samoa), which has
been an unincorporated territory of the United
States of America since 1900.
Samoan food is a
subtly flavoured Polynesian cuisine that lets the flavours of the fresh local
produce speak for themselves without
a lot of spices getting in the way. Key Samoan ingredients are coconut,
seafood, chicken, fresh fruits, taro, potato and pork. The traditional mode of
cooking in Samoa is the Umu, an above the ground stone oven heated
by glowing hot lava rocks. Food
is wrapped in banana leaves or plaited in coconut fronds then placed directly on the
rocks for cooking. Umu is special occasion food in Samoa so I have tried to do something similar using my standard oven.
our Samoan menu included:
Oka l’a (Fish Salad)
Moa (Chicken), Kumera (Sweet Potato) & Red Potato
baked in Pineapple Glaze
&
Pawpaw, Mango & toasted Walnut Salad
with
Coconut Passionfruit dressing
Oka
I'a (Fish Salad)
(serves 6-8)
Ingredients
·
800
gm Firm White fish
·
1
cup fresh lemon juice
·
juice
of 1 lime
·
½
red onion
·
2
Shallots
·
1
large cucumber
·
1
cup coconut milk
·
sea
salt to taste
Note: traditionally the fish would be
tuna but we chose to use Mackerel as our guest of honour is expecting a baby
& Tuna, Marlin & similar large fish contain mercury that may be harmful
for unborn babies!
Method:
1. Clean & trim the fish removing
any bones, skin & any dark flesh
2. Cut the fish into small even-sized
cubes no bigger than 1 cm
3. Place the fish in a dish & pour
the lemon juice over the top
4. Stir the fish & lemon juice
gently then cover & refrigerate
5. Leave the fish to marinate until it
is tender, for about an hour (or as you like it), giving it an occasional
gentle with a coconut wood spoon
6. Whilst the fish
is marinating cut up the vegetables
7. Finely dice the onion, tomato & cucumber & thinly
slice the spring onion
8. Drain the lemon juice from the fish &
discard the juice
9. Add the chopped vegetables and gently
mix together
10.
Add
coconut cream & the lime juice & gently mix
11.
Now
season with sea salt to taste
12.
Refrigerate
the fish for at least half an hour to allow the flavours to blend and develop
13.
The salad may begin a little dry but will be
juicy by the time you are serving
14.
Serve
chilled
Q-Zine original recipe based on our own experiences in Samoa & adapted from several found at
Chicken, Kumera & Red Potato baked in Pineapple Glaze
Ingredients
·
12 Chicken Pieces (thighs, drumsticks etc)
·
2 medium to large size Kumera (sweet potato)
·
8 large Red Potato
·
6 tbs coconut oil
·
3 tsp fresh ground sea salt
Pineapple Glaze
Ingredients
· 4 spring onions chopped
· 4 cups pineapple juice
· 1 cup unsweetened passionfruit pulp
· Juice and zest of 3 oranges and 3 limes
· 3 cups of soy sauce
· 3 cups of raw sugar
· 6 cloves of chopped garlic
· 7cms of fresh ginger, sliced
· 8 star anise
Method:
1. 3 hours
before you want to serve your meal you need to get the glaze onto the stove top
to boil down as it is going to take 1 ½ to 2 hours
2. Put all
the ingredients for the glaze into a pot, give it a good stir, bring to the
boil then turn down to a rolling simmer
3. Keep
boiling the glaze down & stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until it
begins to look like sugar syrup – a bit like how toffee looks when its almost
cooked down.
4. As the
glaze is cooking down prepare to cook the Kumera, potato & chicken &
turn your oven onto medium (180 C)
5. Take 3
roasting pans & coat each with 2 tbs of coconut oil then sprinkle with sea
salt
6. Wash &
dry the kumera & potato as they will be cooked with the skin on
7. Now cut
both vegetables into pieces about 3 cm square
8. Fill your
three baking trays, one with the cut kumera, one with the red potato & one
with the chicken pieces skin side up & sprinkle it all with a little sea
salt
9. Strain the
glaze through a sieve & baste the three trays with the
glaze
10.
Now place the three trays in the heated oven.
11.
It will take approximately an hour to cook the food
12.
Place the trays in the oven with the chicken at the
top, potato
next level &
Kumera on the bottom
13.
After 20 minutes turn everything over, starting
with the chicken
to
avoid anything burning due to the sugar in the glaze
14.
After
another 20 minutes or so do the same again beginning with
the vegetables & ending with the
chicken
15.
this will help to give the chicken a nice finish
Q-Zine had adapted &
created a new recipe from an original sourced from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10746375
Which is originally from the cookbook
Me'a Kai; The Food And Flavours Of The South
Pacific by International Chef &
Pacific Island food expert Robert Oliver
Full acknowledgment to Robert Oliver
for the original recipe <3
Pawpaw,
Mango & toasted Walnut Salad
with Coconut Passionfruit
dressing
I have had to adapt this recipe as it would be traditionally made with Kapisi vai — Samoan watercress (which is quite peppery & tender so rocket was a good substitute) & Ifi - Polynesian chestnuts
Ingredients
· 2
cups toasted walnuts
·
1
tbs butter
· pinch ground sea salt
· pinch
of chilli powder
· 1
cup grated fresh coconut
· juice
½ lemon
· large
bunch of Rocket (or watercress)
· 2
cups diced ripe pawpaw
· 1 mango
diced
METHOD
1.
Break Walnut halves in quarters then throw in a pan
with butter, sea salt and chilli powder, and sauté quickly for three to four
minutes until lightly toasted.
2.
Place
nuts on a plate to cool.
3.
Now
toast the grated coconut in the same fry pan h=the nuts were toasted in over
medium heat until lightly browned, then set aside to cool
4.
To
make the dressing, put all the dressing ingredients into a jar; the passionfruit pulp, the ginger, the
coconut & Avocado oil, salt & pepper. Secure the lid on the jar well
& shake until all the ingredients are combined.
5.
To
assemble and serve the salad begin by placing the Pawpaw & mango in a pile
in a bowl or plate
6.
,now
top that with the fresh green rocket (or watercress)
7.
top
this with the toasted coconut
8.
followed
by the walnuts
9.
then
finally shake the dressing well & pour over the salad
this is a Q-Zine
recipe adapted from an original sourced from
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