The fourth annual Liliko‘i Festival was last Saturday at Makuu Market. The cooking contest winners were as follows:
First place in the dessert category and Best of Show for highest scoring entry overall went to Pamela S. Jinnohara of Mililani, Oahu, with her Lilikannoli.
Lilikannoli
Tuilles (to make cannoli or into the form you desire)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites (save yolks for liliko‘i curd below)
2/3 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon citrus zest (orange, lime, or lemon), optional
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light, add vanilla extract and egg whites, one at a time until thoroughly mixed, then stir in flour, salt and zest. Refrigerate four hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start by baking only one or two cookies at a time, until you get a feel for the timing — they firm up quickly and can only be shaped while they’re soft.
Line a flat, level baking sheet with nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, sprayed liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon a small amount of tuille batter on the baking sheet. Spread as evenly and thinly as possible into a circle the size you want. I used 3-, 3 1/2- and 5-inch circles.
Bake until golden brown, about 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately start to maneuver a spatula under the edge of the cookie. Wrap the hot cookie around a cannoli mold, rolling pin, juice bottle or any heatproof object that can serve as a mold. The tuille will firm up in a minute and should release easily. Let cool. Continue with the remainder of the batter.
• • •
Liliko‘i Creme Filling
Liliko‘i Curd
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin softened in 2 tablespoons water
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup liliko‘i juice
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Soften gelatin and set aside. In medium pot, combine yolks, sugar, salt and juices. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in softened gelatin. Remove from heat. Strain through a sieve and cool completely.
Creme Filling
8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces mascarpone cheese (optional)
3-4 ounces marshmallow creme, about half of the 7-ounce container
Cream above and mix until light and fluffy.
Whipped Cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Dissolve unflavored gelatin in water and warm so gelatin is liquid. Add the warmed gelatin as you whip the cream to stiff peaks.
Mix: Liliko‘i curd, creme filling and whipped cream lightly, until thoroughly incorporated. Refrigerate for at least one hour to give filling time to firm up so it will hold its shape. This also will help keep the tuille shells crisper after they’re filled.
Assembly: Fill cannoli shells with cooled liliko‘i creme filling. Garnish with additional whipped cream, fresh liliko‘i pulp/seeds or fresh fruit, chopped nuts and mint, as desired.
First-place winner in the entree category was Noelle Purvis of Pahoa with her Triple Liliko‘i Benedict.
Triple Liliko‘i Benedict
1 8-ounce jar liliko‘i jelly
1 sliced organic tomato
Avocado-radish-liliko‘i compote (see recipe below)
4 English muffins, split in two and toasted
8 poached eggs
Liliko‘i hollandaise sauce (see recipe below)
• • •
Avocado-Radish-Liliko‘i Compote
1 cup diced avocado
1/4 cup diced red radish
1/4 cup liliko‘i juice
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Liliko‘i Hollandaise Sauce
2 organic egg yolks
Pinch cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons fresh liliko‘i juice
2 sticks butter
In a blender: Put the egg yolks, pepper and liliko‘i juice and blend for 1 minute.
In a saucepan or microwave: Melt the butter to just below a boil.
With blender running: Pour the melted butter, slowly, in a small stream until sauce thickens.
Assembling:
Layer toasted English muffin half with 1 tablespoon jelly and spread with avocado compote, then a slice of tomato and top with poached egg; pour some of the liliko‘i hollandaise sauce on top.
First-place winner in the sides-soups-salads-sauces-preserves category was Michelle Richter of Pepeekeo with her Spicy ‘Ahi and Creme Cheese Wontons served with a drizzle of Spicy Liliko‘i Sauce.
Spicy ‘Ahi
and Creme Cheese Wonton
Served with a drizzle of Spicy Liliko’i Sauce
For the wonton filling:
4 ounces dried smoked ‘ahi (or any other smoked dried fish)
1 tablespoon liliko‘i chile pepper jam (or liliko‘i jam without chile)
1 tablespoon green onions
2 tablespoons liliko‘i butter
2 pounds cream cheese
Blend all of the above in a food processor and set aside
In a separate bowl, blend:
1 pound cream cheese
2 tablespoons liliko‘i butter
Blend the ‘ahi cream cheese mixture with the cream cheese liliko‘i butter mixture
Scoop 1 tablespoon of filling mixture onto a single wonton wrapper, fold, seal and deep fry in hot oil. Brown each side. Let stand to cool.
Spicy Drizzle Sauce
Liliko‘i chile pepper jam
Cornstarch
On low heat, add the liliko‘i jam with water to dissolve. Add cornstarch to thicken. Cool and let stand.
Drizzle over fried wontons for serving.
Foodie bites
• Hawaii Community College’s Culinary Program’s Cafeteria and Cafe is open from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. through Friday. Call 934-2591 for take-out orders and 934-2559 for the cafeteria orders.
• “A Filipino Kitchen” cookbook by Alan Tabura, which I wrote about in last week’s column, is available at Basically Books in Downtown Hilo at a cost of $21.95. Thanks, folks who emailed me asking.
Email me at audrey wilson808@gmail.com.
