POACHED AU (PACIFIC BLUE MARLIN) OR HAPU'UPU'U (SEA BASS)
(originally made with a thick chunk of barracuda)
This recipe is one I learned when we lived on a small island south of Cuba, back in 1958-early 60. Long forgotten, I remembered the recipe when I was telling a friend about the huge chunks of fish that we were able to get on the Isle of Pines (now called Isle of Youth)
I tasted barracuda for the first time when a friend taught me to poach the fish in this way. You can use any firm-flesh fish, except for `ahi (tuna), since it would be too oily.
1 slab of firm fleshed fish, cut about 2 inches thick
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced in rings
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 can of evaporated milk
Quantities assume that the chunk of fish fits a 10 inch skillet - if using a larger chunk of fish, increase the amounts as desired.
In a large, heavy skillet (I use a cast iron skillet), melt butter and sauté the fish on both sides, until it turns opaque. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper and pour in the contents of the can of evaporated milk.
Let it simmer, turning fish slab a couple of times, and letting the milk reduce to a creamy sauce. When I was trying the recipe again, a few weeks ago, I added some chopped Hawaiian red chile peppers to the above ingredients.
YIELD: 2-4 servings as written
SOURCE: TROPICAL TASTE column By Sonia Martinez (9/03)for The Hamakua Times of Honoka'a - A TALE OF FISH AND SUCH...
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Comments: 29
I do know I love the taste. I don't think I would use coconut milk unless I added a bit of Thai yellow curry to it.......... in my 'mind's taste buds' I cannot think of coconut milk with it unless I turned the recipe "Thai"
Yes, Jude, the little red chiles are wonderful with this recipe.
I love mahi mahi!
Dorine, I wouldn't go as far as to say canned evaporated milk is as vile as canned condensed soups. I don't use it very often but I do use it in some things. When used in the proper recipes I don't notice a tinny taste to it, but the main reason I use it in this recipe is because that is how I first tasted it when the old fisherman cooked it for us in his open campfire.
We have an emergency closet where we keep certain canned or boxed products. The main reason for this is because in Hawaii, our stores depend on things being shipped in for at least 90+ % of goods. The first things to fly out the store shelves when there are emergencies looming (storms, 9-11, docker's strike in California, barge strikes in Honolulu, etc, you name the emergency......) is stuff like this, toilet tissue, rice and SPAM......No, I don't use SPAM, but many here do..... Of course if the elctricity goes, so does whatever fresh stuff is in the refrigerator. So we do keep evaporated milk and other items that don't need refrigeration just in case. We recycle our stock to keep it fresh, so from time to time I come up with recipes to use these items.
We've used this recipe for tilapia. It is not as firm-fleshed as marlin, barracuda, but is it ever yummy! We also add a sliver or two of ginger.
Lori, I would if I could...however, I'm sure you can can find some excellent fish closer to you since you aren't too far off the coast!
Pearl 2U, exactly! We do have one of the largest, if not the largest single ownership ranches in the US right here on this island, but still the bulk of our fresh meat and milk is shipped and then barged to our islands from overseas......
I have never thought of using tilapia, but we do have it available on this island so will give it a try soon. Thank you! I love the idea of adding a touch of ginger. We have lots of little ginger farms around and near our village.
PS I hate fish, but I showed up to see if any kitties were thrown down the well.;-)
I don't care too much for oily fish, except salmon and I have never cooked salmon this way, so not sure what to tell you. I usually use a firm, white fish for this dish. I will try tilapia and cream next time, though
UPDATE: I have now tried this recipe with regular milk, cream and the evaporated milk. The evaporated milk made a 'smoother' sauce than the milk or cream.
I still think the old man used canned because he always cooked the fish right after catching while still at the fishing camp.