Ka ʻikena Lauaʻe Recipe

Quick-pickle onions

Place the thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl. Whisk rice vinegar, sugar, and 1 tsp salt until sugar dissolves. Pour over onions, press down so onion is submerged, and let sit at room temperature while you prepare other components (at least 15 minutes).

Before serving, drain a little of the pickling liquid and set onions aside to top the fish and rice. Mix scallions and toasted sesame seeds for final garnish.

Cook rice

Rinse the rice under cold water until water runs nearly clear. In a small saucepan combine rinsed rice, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons coconut milk, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes; then fluff with a fork.

Make glaze

In a small saucepan or skillet, combine 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp lime juice, grated ginger, minced garlic, and 2 tbsp water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce slightly reduces (about 2–3 minutes). Taste and adjust: add a pinch more sugar for sweetness or a few drops more lime for brightness. Keep warm.

Prepare fish and lauāʻe

Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Brush fillets lightly with 2 tbs olive oil. If using lauāʻe leaves, rinse and pat dry; if substitute leaves (ti/banana), cut to size so they can wrap or lay underneath the fillets. If lauāʻe are fragile, layer 2 leaves per fillet.

Grill or pan-cook

Preheat a grill or heavy skillet to medium-high. If grilling, oil the grate. Place a lauāʻe leaf (or two) on the grill/skillet, then place the seasoned fish on top of the leaves—the leaves will infuse fragrance and protect fish from direct heat. Grill 3–4 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until fish is opaque and flakes easily and internal temperature reaches 130–140°F (54–60°C). If you prefer, you can wrap the fish loosely in leaves and grill for 6–8 minutes.

Glaze and rest

During the last 1 minute of cooking, brush the sweet soy-lime glaze over the top of the fish and let it caramelize briefly. Remove fish from heat and transfer to a plate; let rest 2–3 minutes to allow juices to settle and for the lauāʻe aroma to infuse.

If using lauāʻe as a wrapping, gently open the leaves at the table for a fragrant presentation.