He'e Laikiku Rice

 

He'e Luau Laikiku Rice has its humble beginnings in the Hawaii Plantation Era, and is more than just a dish— it’s a story of culinary adaptation and cultural fusion. The genesis of the dish is traced to steamed rice and it was a simple solution to avoid wasting ingredients that seem to go with nothing else and using rice as a flavoring vessel. The process of puree-mixing with a liquid in a rice pot, a common cooking utensil in Hawaiian kitchens, not only steaming the rice but also imparting a distinct flavor, especially when combined with bits of seafoods, vegetables, and sauces. Over the decades as Hawaiian cuisine had been closed off to only select recipes from historians, so it went under the radar. Laikiku rice evolved by absorbing local flavors and ingredients, being the precursor to people favoring the fried taste of fried rice over steamed variations.

Steamed Rice (aka. Laikiku Rice) got its name from more people practicing Olelo Hawaiian and to describe the rice as a laid back side dish. Laikiku Rice, (La-ee-kee-kuu) lai means peaceful and kiku means to lean back. In many school cafeterias in Hawaii had Spanish Rice (aka. Portuguese Rice, Pocho Rice) as a common steamed rice food that was served, so as many students grew up their families had their own recipe, and some even had ethnic steamed rice mixes like the Puerto Rican families made Gandule Rice (aka. Puerto Rican Rice), or the Okinawan’s made Jushi Rice (aka. Okinawan Rice). Some even stepped out of the recipe boundaries, particularly a few families in Waianae that were hapa (mixed ethnicities) and had made several types of steamed rices they called Laikiku Rice. A grandma from a family that was Hawaiian-Japanese-Chinese descent had created Luau Laikiku Rice out of left overs of Squid Luau to feed the kids a snack with their kalua pork. The lady had put it “Nothing goes to waste, everything is eaten, or repurposed, especially ono stews” this saying would go for Beef Rice (aka. Paniolo Rice) from Beef Stew and Curry Rice from Beef Curry as well. 

Grilled Octopus is one of the main ingredients as it is important to know a fisherman and talk to them ahead of time because they sell out. Or people have their own kamado grill and lightly grilled the octopus and the chopped up pieces if prepared correctly are not so chewy, small bite size pieces, and are on the saltier side. 

Preparing Octopus: mixing bowl [1 lb = 16 ounces], Prepare octopus by cutting out the [beak], then pull out and cut [ink sack]. Get [large mixing bowl], Add [octopus, kosher salt] to large mixing bowl. Tenderize by [grab octopus's head, massage in circular motion for 1 hour]. Rinse octopus in cold water for several minutes. Smoke for [4 hours at 275 degrees]. Grill for [5 minutes each side] kiawe wood. 

Making Luau Laikiku Rice: Add rice [5 cups], water [6 cups], 1.5 tbsp french onion mix, 1.5 tbsp beef bouillon, and luau stew base* [3/4 cup]. Stir. Press Cook button [check after 1 hour]

Luau Stew Base: blender [12 tbsp = 3/4 cup]: 3 tbsp boiled luau leaf paste, 1 tbsp sesame seed oil, 4 tbsp shoyu sauce [kikkoman], 4 tbsp coconut milk [chaokoh], 1 tsp oyster sauce.

Mixing Laikiku Rice: Heat saute pan to [medium heat]. Add butter [2 tbsp], canola oil [1 tbsp]. Add sweet onions [2 cup], garlic [1 tbsp], ginger [1 tsp], salt, and pepper, and cook until lightly caramelized [15 minutes]. Add water [1 cup] and simmer for [5 minutes]. Add white wine [1 cup] to deglaze pan. Add mushrooms [6 oz ], [cook for 5 minutes], and Hawaiian chili pepper powder [1 tsp]. Add bay scallops [8 oz], and opah fillets [10 oz] for [cook for 5 minutes]. Remove from stove [5 minutes] mix with Luau Laikiku Rice* and Smoke Grilled Octopus*. Garnish with Green Onions, Parsely, and Sesame Seeds