Opakapaka Canoe House

This was the signature dish of the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani Hotel (Big Island), where Chef Alan Wong worked before opening his own restaurant. The opakapaka fillets are placed on a seared Chinese noodle pillow and bathed in a sauce of ginger, lemongrass, vegetables, clams and shrimp. The dish resembles an Asian bouillabaisse.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Noodle Cakes

• 16  ounces  dry  Chinese egg noodles
•  peanut oil (for frying)

• Fish

•  four  opakapaka fillets (6-ounce each) or   other white-fleshed  fish fillet (6-ounce each)
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
•  olive oil, for searing

• Canoe House Sauce

• 2  tablespoons  peanut oil
• 12  littleneck clams or 12  other small clams, scrubbed
• 1  cup  diced onion
• 1⁄4 cup  minced fresh ginger
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  minced garlic
• 1  lemongrass, stalk white part only, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 1⁄2 cup  chinese fermented black beans, rinsed
• 1⁄2 cup dry sherry
• 1⁄4 cup  thai chili paste
• 1⁄2 cup  chicken stock
• 12  sugar snap peas, halved diagonally
• 1  cup fresh corn or 1  cup frozen corn kernels
• 1  tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 1⁄4 cup  garlic butter

• Garnish

• 4  fresh fresh cilantro stems
• 4  green onions, julienned and placed in ice water

Directions

1. TO MAKE THE NOODLE CAKE:
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add the noodles.
4. Return to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender.
5. Drain.
6. Heat a 5- or 6-inch nonstick skillet or saute pan over high heat.
7. While the noodles are still hot, place one-fourth of the noodles in the hot skillet, forming them into a pillow shape with a spatula or slotted spoon.
8. Sear for 30 seconds, or until browned; loosen and flip the noodle cake.
9. Sear on the second side.
10. Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place in an ovenproof pan.
11. Repeat with the remaining noodles, making a total of 4 cakes.
12. Place the noodle cakes in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
13. Set aside; keep warm.
14. TO PREPARE THE FILLETS:
15. Preheat the oven to 350°F
16. Season the fillets with salt and pepper.
17. Heat a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
18. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until rippling, then add 1 fillet and sear on each side for 30 seconds.
19. Remove the fillet with a spatula and place on an ovenproof dish.
20. Repeat with the remaining fillets, adding oil as needed.
21. The fish will be seared on the outside, and very rare inside.
22. Bake for 15 minutes; set aside and keep warm.
23. MAKE THE SAUCE:
24. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.
25. When the oil is hot, add the clams, onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and black beans.
26. Saute for 1 minute, or until the vegetables are slightly translucent and beginning to brown.
27. Pour the wine into the pan and stir to loosen the brown bits from the bottom.
28. Add the chili paste, stock, peas, corn, tomato and butter.
29. Stir, cover and cook until the clams open, 2 to 3 minutes.
30. Remove any clams that have not opened and discard.
31. TO SERVE:
32. Place a noodle cake in the center of each of 4 large shallow serving bowls.
33. Lean a fish fillet against each cake.
34. Spoon clams and sauce over and around the fillets and cakes, dividing the clams equally among the bowls.
35. Garnish each with a cilantro sprig and a green onion curl.