The Great Waikoloa Poke Contest

Beautiful amateur contestant poke display

Fish and seafood of all kinds were celebrated at The Great Waikoloa Poke Contest, part of the Hawaii Island Festival, September 7, 2013. Amateurs and professionals competed for top honors in traditional, limu (seaweed), soy sauce, and cooked poke categories. Meaning "to slice," poke can be made with any fish or seafood the cook dreams up, although this contest made a point to only include locally sourced seafood.

Packed house for poke tasting

Aloha was in the air as contestants gathered early Saturday morning to assemble their dramatic display tables and plate their poke entries for the blind judging. The awards were based 100% on taste, with the exception of one award for presentation, judged separately.

Amateur presentation winner

Hosted by the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, the event also included a poke making demonstration, an appearance by the Royal Court, and of course a tasting for the public.

The chefs from Waikoloa Beach Marriott swept the professional division, including the presentation award. Amateur winners were Jason Wood (shoyu), Anthony Carvalho (cooked), Doug Wang (traditional) and Grady (Pono) Bintliff (limu).

My "diner" themed display for the BLT poke. Get it?

My BLT poke entry didn't make the cut, but it was hard not to be impressed by all of the wonderful and creative entries. Overall, this was a fun event overflowing with aloha and I'd love to compete again next year. If you'd like to try my BLT poke, the recipe is below. Mahalo to When Pigs Fly Island Charcuterie for making the awesome bacon.

BLT poke

BLT Poke

Makes about 2 pounds

1 lb ahi

2 TBL shoyu

5 slices thick-cut bacon

1 French baguette loaf, if desired

2 TBL butter, if desired

1/2 lb Waimea tomatoes

3 TBL mayonnaise

2 TBL fresh lemon juice

2 green onions, chopped and divided

3 cups Manoa lettuce leaves, if desired

salt to taste (if needed)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Cut ahi into bite-sized pieces, toss with shoyu in a medium bowl and allow to marinate in fridge.

Line a baking sheet with foil and place bacon slices on top. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until small bubbles form on the bacon. When done, place bacon on paper towel to drain, then chop into small pieces when cooled.

While the bacon is cooking, slice the baguette into very thin slices, about ¼ inch thick.  Melt butter and brush both sides of bread using a pastry brush. Place on a baking sheet and toast in oven about 10-12 minutes, flipping bread once, until both sides are golden brown. [This step is only if desired, can be served without bread, butter and lettuce]

Chop tomatoes and place in a large bowl with the chopped bacon. Drain excess shoyu from ahi and add fish to bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, and one chopped green onion. Add mayo mixture to large bowl and toss lightly to coat. Taste, add salt if desired.

[This step is only if desired, can be served without bread, butter and lettuce] To serve, place one small piece of lettuce on each piece of toast. Top with a spoonful of poke and garnish with chopped green onion. Enjoy!

Sam Choy's Keauhou Poke Contest

The Big Island got its poke on this weekend at Sam Choy's Keauhou Poke Contest held at the Sheraton Kona. Poke (poh-KAY) is the "soul food of Hawaii," according to Choy, and is traditionally prepared with raw fish, sea salt, seaweed, spices, and kukui nuts. 

Contestants put their "braggin' in the bowl" in many creative ways, stretching the concept of traditional poke into several other categories including spicy, cooked, with soy sauce, sushi style, and non-seafood  entries. Professionals and amateurs were both invited to compete. 

My Mexican-themed table display

Creative table displays accompanied the contest entries as poke chefs presented their work to the judges. Winners were announced after poke tastings were offered to the public for a small fee that  benefited the $1 million Equip the Kitchens Campaign for the future Hawai‘i Community College-Palamanui. A complete list of winners can be found here: Poke Contest Results.

The event also included live music, Hawaiian cultural demonstrations, and an island marketplace featuring locally made products.

Guacamole Poke (photo by Fern Gavelek)

Did I enter? You know it! My Guacamole Poke grabbed 2nd place in the amateur cooked category, see recipe below. I was especially impressed with the other amateur entries this year including a beautiful traditional recipe featuring opelu and opihi by Aunty Margie Hanselman, a fancy lobster entry by high schooler Alexis Fujikawa, and a very special venison recipe by hunter Ryan Koyanagi.

Poke has deep roots in Hawaiian culture. I love that. I also love that poke has evolved over the decades to incorporate the many cultures that have found a home on the islands, too. It is at once a revered cultural dish as well as a representation of the cultural mixture that makes up Hawaii today. I hope you get the chance to enjoy some soon.

Guacamole Poke

Makes about 2 lbs of poke

1 lb Kona Kampachi filets (introduced to me by the late Guy Toyama, please support a cause Guy would have been proud of here: Memorial Fund info) 
2 TBL Hawaiian mac nut oil

2 TBL Mexican dry rub (salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, lime zest)

1 large Big Island avocado

1 Waimea tomato

1 Big Island grown green onion

½ cup Big Island grown cilantro

¼ cup Big Island lime juice

salt to taste

2 cloves garlic

1 Big Island jalapeno

taco chips to serve

Rub Kampachi filets with the Mexican dry rub. In a very hot pan, add mac nut oil. Sear both sides of the filets rare (about 1 minute each side). Cook times will vary depending on the thickness of the filets.

While fish cools, chop the avocado, tomato, onion, green onion, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno. Toss very gently with lime juice and some salt.

Cut fish into chunks and very gently toss into the vegetable mixture.

Serve with taco chips. Enjoy!