"Roy's Feasts from Hawaii" - Roy's (Yamaguchi)Chocolate Souffle (a/k/a "Molten Lava Cake")

Date I made this recipe:  March 7, 2014 – to belatedly celebrate my husband's birthday

Roy's Feasts from Hawaii by Roy Yamaguchi and John Harrisson

Published by:  10 Ten Speed Press

ISBN:  0-89815-637-8

Recipe – Roy's Chocolate Soufflé (a/k/a "Molten Lava Cake") – p. 205

People, I find it highly amusing that one of the best things on the menu at Roy's (Yamaguchi) restaurants in Hawaii (several locations) is not fresh Hawaiian fish, is not Hawaiian classics like roast pig or even poi, it's a chocolate soufflé cake.  Yup.  Chocolate.  And yet I cannot even begin to tell you how good it is; think "celestial!"

A few months ago, I mentioned Roy Yamaguchi when I blogged about a cookbook about Hawaiian rising star chefs.  Since that cookbook was published, Roy has been slowly and steadily building a world-class reputation and has increased his restaurant empire to include operations in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada and Texas.  (I must say that Illinois and Maryland don't make much sense to me but who am I to quibble?).  All of my dining experiences have been in Hawaii and were it not so far and had we not just been there (in October), we might have considered another trip just so that my husband could have that chocolate soufflé cake for his birthday.  Instead, yours truly was charged with making this cake and while it wasn't hard, it was a little daunting because what if I failed?  It's not like I could fly Roy over here to fix it, now could I?  (Although maybe he could have talked me down off the ledge – not that I was on it – by phone.  Should have thought about that!)  But hubby wanted this cake and so I had to soldier on.

As the nickname suggests, this cake has a "molten lava" center of warm, gooey chocolate and the menu warns you right off the bat that this masterpiece takes time.  In my case, I would have made it for my husband's birthday on March 1^st (instead of March 7^th) but for one little item that I missed in the recipe:  "Place [mixture] in the refrigerator overnight."  Damn, I hate it when that happens (and if you ask me, and you didn't, the publisher should have bolded that instruction or at least made it 20 feet tall so I couldn't fail to see it)!

The other thing I learned – and who could know this ahead of time – is that if you want that molten lava center, you are going to have to invest in the metal rings called for in the instructions.  Why?  Because what you do is to place these rings on parchment paper that lines a baking sheet.  This provides a more direct heat source (batter on parchment to baking sheet to oven heat) than what I did which was to use individual ramekins that does not allow for direct heat - batter into ramekins, ramekins onto baking sheets equals more layers; the chocolate melted but did not become molten and wasn't this the whole point of the recipe?  It was.  The recipe notes that you can also bake the whole recipe in a small casserole dish but again, I'm thinking that the casserole dish impedes the lava-making process.  Your call.

So to summarize:  we used ramekins instead of rings and got a very moist center but not the molten lava flow we were expecting.  Taste-wise, they were awesome so it's just a matter of whether you can swallow (hahahaha) your disappointment at missing out on the chocolate lava flow or not.

By the way, on this last trip to Hawaii in October, the federal government was shut down and that meant we could not take a trip to Volcanoes National Park.  I'm taking this as a sign for how our soufflé would turn out!

Now, should chocolate not be your thing (inconceivable!), you cannot go wrong with this cookbook as it provides a wonderful assortment of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas and pizzas and so on and so forth so that you get the complete island experience without leaving home.  On our first trip to Roy's, we ordered appetizers, entrees and then of course saved room for the soufflé.  On this last trip to Hawaii (the Big Island), we were so full from an absolutely fabulous and ridiculously large pulled pork sandwich at lunch that we ordered appetizers at Roy's and then talked to a guy next to us at the bar who was tucking in the short ribs and the soufflé cake.  We like to think that we ate vicariously through him.

Besides all the incredible edible recipes in this book, the other reason to buy it is for the photography (the food photos are phenomenal) and the stories.  I always like a cookbook that gives me a little bit of both.

Part of the reason that I used ramekins instead of metal rings is that I didn't want to invest in purchasing the four metal rings called for in Roy's recipe.  I will not repeat that mistake again.  Next time, it's rings of molten lava, or bust!  (PS—Andy loved them!)

Roy's Chocolate Soufflé – yield:  4 servings

Author's Note:  This is the all-time, absolute favorite of my daughter, Nicole.  Casey Logsdon, our pastry chef at Roy's Kahana Bar and Grill on Maui, has perfected this recipe to the point where frequent visitors to the island claim they return just for this soufflé.  We've made things easier for them now, by also serving this dessert in Honolulu.  This recipe is best when started the day before so the chocolate mixture can rest overnight in the refrigerator.  If you prefer, you can bake the whole recipe in a small casserole dish and serve it at the table, or make individual soufflés in ramekins.  We make our individual chocolate soufflés in metal rings that are available from J.B. Prince Co. in New York (212-302-8611). (Website is jbprince.com)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

¾ cup sugar

1 ¾ tabelspoons cornstarch

2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together.  Set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together.  Add the melted butter-chocolate mixture to the sugar mixture and combine thoroughly with a wire whisk.  Stir in the eggs and whisk just until smooth.

PLACE IN REFRIGERATOR OVERNIGHT.

The next day...preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line 4 metal rings (about 2 ¾ inches across and 2 inches high) with greased parchment paper.  (Alternatively, use 6 smaller molds.)  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the molds on the sheet.  Scoop the mixture into the molds so they are two-thirds full, and make sure the molds are not leaking.

Bake on the top oven rack for 20 minutes.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and, while holding each mold with tongs, slide a metal spatula underneath, carefully lift, and transfer to a serving plate.  Gently lift off the mold and remove the parchment paper.  Serve immediately.

"The New Cuisine of Hawaii - Recipes from the Twelve Celebrated Chefs of Hawaii Regional Cuisine" - Stir-Fried Chicken Satay with Rice Noodles

 

 Date I made this recipe:  November 3, 2013

The New Cuisine of Hawaii - Recipes from the Twelve Celebrated Chefs of Hawaii Regional Cuisine by Janice Wald Henderson

Published by:  Villard Books

ISBN:  0-679-42529-2

Recipe:  Stir-Fried Chicken Satay with Rice Noodles - p. 50 (Recipe by Chef Jean-Marie Josselin)

A little while ago, I wrote about how one of my kitchen adventures turned into my own version of the Food Network Show, Iron Chef America.  Today is round two at my house and tonight's secret ingredient is...rice noodles!  (Let's all take a moment to ooh and aah, just like the contestants on the show do).

A while back, Trader Joe's, a store that just keeps on giving, carrying products I never would have thought about buying if they hadn't told me to, featured these rice noodles in the refrigerator section.  I bought them, put them in my own refrigerator, and then went on a hunt for a recipe containing rice noodles.  Surely with a recipe collection as vast as mine, containing several Asian cookbooks, I would find a recipe right away, but no.  Lucky for me, these noodles had a long "shelf" life, ending this coming Thursday (well, not "ending" ending but that was the suggested "use by date"). 

In the end, it turned out to be a case of good timing that I waited so long because I ended up using one of the used cookbooks I acquired on a recent trip to Hawaii provided just the recipe - Stir-Fried Chicken Satay with Rice Noodles.  And so whew--right there in print was the secret ingredient - rice noodles.  You have no idea how hard that was because most of the other cookbooks listed every other noodles but rice noodles or listed rice itself but not the noodles.  So...success.

What almost derailed me from making this though, was the other secret ingredient:  red Thai curry paste.  I must say, the combination of Thai + curry scares me.  I expected it to be tongue-blistering hot but then again, the other ingredient, coconut milk, provides a balancing cooling effect.  So there was that.  And the peanut butter in the sauce definitely smoothes things over (hahahaha).  The result was a wonderfully rich and not-too-hot satay sauce.  I loved it.

But alas, the rice noodles did not fill me with love or even affection...or anything closely resembling either of the above.  For this I blame myself:   Instead of following the recipe instructions, I followed the package directions to the "t" and the package cooking time and the recipe cooking time differed by a minute. And in retrospect, I should have known that a 2-minute cooking time was too much.  We ended up with a soggy, messy glob of noodles prompting me to suggest to Andy that we eat the satay sauce leftovers with rice this time around.  Rice, I can cook:  rice noodles?  Apparently not so much!

As to the "new" cuisine of Hawaii, of which this recipe is a part, happily, this cuisine is no longer new as our 11-day sampling vacation proved to me and my husband.  Many more Hawaiian chefs are making their marks in the culinary world, and a couple of Food Network shows have had Hawaiian chefs as contestants.  In fact, we ate at Next Food Network Star's Ippy Aiona's restaurant on the Big Island (and got photos--he is as nice in person as he was on TV).  So that's a big plus.  But the way was paved by the twelve chefs from this book so let's discuss:

Alan Wong - once cooked for President Obama; now owns three restaurants in Oahu and Maui.

Amy Ferguson Ota - once cooked with Julia Child (be still my heart); now runs a catering business in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. 

Beverly Gannon - owner of the Hali'imalie General Store (we've eaten there) on Maui and other of a cookbook by the same name.  Hers was one of the first cookbooks I used for my blog.

Gary Strehl - has moved back to the mainland and continues in his role as general manager/executive chef for several high-end hotel groups.

George Mavrothalassitis - born in Provence, Chef "Mavro" is chef/proprietor of Chef Mavro's, a fine dining restaurant in Honolulu.

Jean-Marie Josselin - after venturing out to the mainland to open a restaurant in Las Vegas, Chef Josselin returned to Hawaii to Kauai to operate Josselin's Tapas Bar and Grill.  Had we known of him when were in Kauai, we would have stopped in for a bite but alas, I shipped this book, purchased in Hilo, Hawaii, before we stopped over in Kauai for a few days before returning to Minneapolis.  Oh well--next time.

Mark Ellman - This guy is busy!  In addition to a few restaurants in Maui, he owns/operates nine Maui Taco stands in three different Hawaiian Islands.  (Not that we ate at his stand, but we could not get over the wide variety of taco stands seen on all the islands.  Who knew?)

Peter Merriman - I only had to wait 10 years to eat at Peter Merriman's "original" Merriman's Restaurant on the Big Island (Waimea) but it was well worth it.  For whatever reason, I was aware of Peter Merriman the first time I went to the Big Island in 1997 and his reputation has grown exponentially since then.  Merriman pretty much started the local food movement on the Big I and has not strayed from that notion one iota, as evidenced by his "island-grown" notations on most of his restaurant items.  Trust me when I tell you to get the locally raised grass-fed beef filet.  "Sublime" is the word that comes to mind.  Absolutely sublime.

Philippe Padovani - The sad news is that Phlippe had a restaurant, then closed it, then reopened then closed it.  Alors.  But the good news is that he is now making chocolates in Honolulu.  That said, let me just say that all Hawaiian islands seem to love to make and sell chocolates, but people, I inadvertently left a Caramello bar in my purse in Kauai and despite the fact that I took my purse everywhere, it melted all over the place and I had quite the mess.  Do not however, let this deter you from a purchase:  instead, exercise caution!

Roger Dikon - Here's another chef who moved around a bit after a long stint of chefing in Hawaii only to return once again.  He is currently living in Honolulu

Roy Yamaguchi - Having eaten at two of Roy's restaurants in Maui and the Big Island (and waved at him while driving by his restaurant on Kauai), I feel like I know the guy but alas, have never met him.  Born in Japan, Roy has been busy building a restaurant empire with restaurants all over Hawaii as well as in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada and Texas.  Everything we've eaten is outstanding but Roy's Chocolate Soufflé (a/k/a Molten Lava Cake) is memorable.

Sam Choy - I've been hearing about Sam Choy for years but didn't see much of him and then overnight, he was on all these Food Network shows.  Sam's restaurant, Kai Lanai, is located in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.  We drove past it but alas, didn't have time to stop.  Next trip!

All told, I think that's a pretty impressive set of biographies of these chefs who paved the way for Hawaii to become a powerhouse in the culinary world.  And I'm really pleased that I've eaten in a few of their establishments and eaten well, my friends.  It is not for nothing that several people on this list have been nominated for or received James Beard Awards.  Let's hope they continue to impress.

And now for our recipe - aloha!

Stir-Fried Chicken Satay with Rice Noodles - 4 servings

Sauce

1 1/2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste

1 teaspoon tumeric

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter

1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts

1/4 cup (or more) water

12 basil leaves, julienned

Noodles and Chicken

1 package (6 ounces) rice noodles (mai fun)

4 tablespoons peanut oil

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 small carrot, julienned

1/2 cup snow peas, strings removed

1/2 cup sliced bok choy

For the sauce:  Bring the coconut milk to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan.  Add the red curry paste, tumeric and curry powder and mix well.  Whisk in the peanut butter, roasted peanuts, 1/4 cup of water and the basil.  season to taste with salt.  (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before using, thinning with more water if necessary.)

For noodles and chicken:  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the noodles and cook until just tender, about 1 minute.  (Ann's Note:  the package said 1 1/2 to 2 minutes and as previously noted, 2 minutes will get you rice paste.)  Drain; return the noodles to the pot.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil and toss well.  Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok over high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds.  Add the chicken and stir-fry until almost cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Add the carrot and stir-fry 1 minute.  Add 2 cups of sauce and cook to heat through.  Mound the rice noodles on plates.  Top with chicken sauce and serve.

Ann's Note:  Chef Jean-Marie Josselin recommends serving a sweeter wine to soothe the palate from the curry sauce.  Either a German Riesling or an American Gewurztraminer will do the trick if you like white wine.  For red, (which he didn't recommend), I think a fruity merlot is probably your best bet.  For the record, I had neither but instead opted for my favorite beverage, a martini.  If anything helps cool down the hotness of curry sauce, it's gin.  But that could just be me....