Threr is no more luxurious or logical
place to go for seafood and for fusion cooking than the Hawaiian Islands.
And Roy Yamaguchi, raised in Japan and trained as a chef at the CIA
is the perfect guide to both. The owner of more than thirty Roy's Restaurants,
Yamaguchi is hailed by fellow chefs such as Ming Tsai and Nobu Matsuhisa,
as well as by gourmet magazines that watch his creations closely. No
meal is boring when Yamaguchi is present, and fusion looks like child's
play.
All of the recipes in Roy's Fish
and Seafood reflect Yamaguchi's love of seafood and his inventive
style. Unafraid and unabashed, he starts with Hawaiian ingredients,
but mixes Asian spices into a European sauce to lift a dish from the
ordinary. The results are electrifying. This is seafood as we have never
tasted before and want to taste again. And again.
Yamaguchi respects the bounty of
the waters around Hawaii and doesn't turn away from guiding us to specific
varieties of Pacific fish and seafood. Among them are familiar fish
such as tuna, mahimahi, bass, lobster, squid and scallops, but he also
introduces us to unknown delights such as opah (moonfish), ehu (short-tailed
red snapper), ono (tigerfish or oceanic barracuda), or onaga (long-tailed
snapper). Though he delights in these introductions, he offers substitutes
for those not fortunate enough to live in Hawaii.
The book is beautifully illustrated
with photos by Scott Peterson, whether shots of the fish themselves
or the beautiful plating done by Yamaguchi when serving the food. But
it is those recipes, those inventive, imaginative recipes that inspire
and set us to cooking. There's Roy's crisp lemongrass calamari salad;
shrimp and chicken dumplings with mango and mint dipping sauce, a grilled
garlic swordfish with chipotle chile sauce and polenta. And he takes
Ipswich clams and combines them with chile and mint.
A glossary of terms is included,
as is a chapter of basic recipes and techniques.
About the author: Roy Yamaguchi
is a public television host and the owner of more than thirty Roy's
restaurants around the world. . He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has
been credited with reinventing Hawaiian cuisine
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