Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

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