When one thinks of the tropics, many things come to mind, not the least of which is the delicious food to be found there. Fresh fruits, fish, roast Kahlua Pork, macadamia nuts, the list goes on and on. One thing that you wouldn’t expect is macaroni salad. This dish seems more at home at a church picnic or box social, but when you visit Hawaii, you will find the Hawaiian version of mac salad all over, from the fanciest luau to a plate lunch at the most decrepit of local beach shacks, it is ubiquitous.
It’s
also really good, better than its mainland cousin, methinks, and it is
strangely addictive.
In
celebrating our recent excursion to Hawaii, I thought I’d investigate this dish
and bring my own version to you here on the Eat’n Man Blog.
Hawaiian
Macaroni Salad
16 oz elbow macaroni
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoon onion powder
2 green onions
1 carrot
1 celery stalk, minced
Salt
Pepper
Boil
the elbow macaroni for a good 12-15 minutes and then drain.
Yes, I know this sounds like a long time, but
Hawaiians boil their macaroni to a pretty soft consistency, and you want to be
authentic, don’t you?
While
your pasta is boiling, make the sauce.
Combine
the milk, mayo, Worcestershire, brown sugar, garlic, onion powder, salt and
pepper and stir to mix. Set aside.
Once
your pasta is drained, mix it with the apple cider vinegar
and then place it in
the fridge for about ten minutes to cool.
Then add about half of the milk/mayo mixture to it and allow it to cool
for another ten minutes.
While
the pasta is cooling, chop your celery rib, carrot and green onions,
then place
them in a food processor and pulse into they are nicely minced.
After
the pasta has cooled a total of twenty minutes, add the rest of the milk/mayo
mixture, then the minced veggies, and stir to combine.
Taste and adjust with additional salt and/or
pepper to taste. Refrigerate for an hour
or so to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cold.
Until
next time,
Aloha,
Chris
Woohoo! A group of our familes is holidaying in Hawaii next year, so I have been trawling the 'net for recipes from/about the Aloha State. When we have meetings to organise the trip we will take food to share. I'll be taking dis coz itz da bomb! Mahalo
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