Hawaii Theatre Fundraiser Preview

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Wednesday - May 09, 2007

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“All the World’s a Stage.” That’s what the Bard wrote so many centuries ago, and the Hawaii Theatre has selected it as the theme for this year’s gala fundraiser at The Kahala.

Gen. Fred Weyand, retired from the U.S. Army, is the honorary chair for the benefit. He and wife Mary are active members of the board of directors, headed by Bank of Hawaii’s Shelley Thompson.

The May 11 festivities include a fantastic menu created just for theater supporters, an unbeatable silent auction with top-notch prizes solicited by the committee headed by Constance Williams and Karen Huffman, and outstanding entertainment and dancing.

Bvlgari has stepped up to support the Hawaii Theatre, donating a $10,000 piece from its collection and party favors for each guest. The décor, contributed by Mary Charles & Associates, will complement the theme, as will students from the Hawaii Theatre’s May 10 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream,who will mingle with the black tie crowd.

Sarah Richards has led the restoration of the Hawaii Theatre, definitely a jewel in Honolulu’s cultural crown. So to her and all the volunteers, here’s an advance look at Friday night’s menu with a recipe from The Kahala.

ROASTED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH CRISPY SOFT SHELL CRAB, SWEET CORN POLENTA AND VEGETABLE RATATOULLE, GARLIC AIOLI AND BLACK PEPPER DEMI GLACE

Recipe courtesy of Chef Daniel Uyejo The Kahala Hotel and Resort

* 1 whole beef tenderloin
* 4 soft shell crabs
* 1 green zucchini
* 1 each red, green, yellow bell peppers
* 1 long eggplant
* 2 Maui onions
* 1 cup flour
* 4 egg whites
* 4 egg yolks
* fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley
* bulb of fresh garlic
* 1 bottle olive oil
* 1 ¹/2 cups heavy cream
* 2 cup fine ground cornmeal
* fresh Kahuku corn kernels from 1 cob
* 1 stalk celery
* 1 fresh lime
* ¹/4 cup Parmesan cheese
* 2 cups beef reduction
* 10 black peppercorns
* 1 cup red wine
* salt and pepper
* salad oil

First trim the beef tenderloin, then marinate it in olive oil, fresh thyme, rosemary and garlic overnight.

Then start with the crispy soft shell crabs: Take out the gills of the crab and pat dry with paper towel. Now get a bowl of flour, beaten egg whites and fine ground cornmeal and set on a table top in that sequence for coating. Season the crabs with salt and pepper and flour the crabs, then place the crabs in the egg whites and then into the cornmeal and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to fry (this can be done the night before).

Wash and dry zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant and onion. Dice all vegetables and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Garlic aioli: Beat egg yolks in a food processor until creamy, then add in olive oil slowly until it emulsifies and looks like the texture of mayonnaise. Add in fresh lime juice, minced Maui onions, celery and fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste and store in the refrigerator.

To cook the meal, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place the beef tenderloin on a wire rack over a sheet pan; salt and pepper the beef and let it warm up for 20 minutes before cooking. Place it into the oven for about 25-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees, and set aside to rest.

Now start three pots on the stove. First, for deep-frying, pour enough oil into the pot so it’s about 2 inches deep and heat it to 350 degrees, then fry the crab for about 3 minutes or until the cornmeal crust is crispy and starts to become golden; remove and place on paper towel to drain excess oil.

The second pot: Pour in cream and add the corn kernels; simmer for 2 minutes, then add a pinch of fresh thyme leaves and whisk in a little cornmeal just until you can see the cream thicken a little. Continue to stir until the polenta thickens up, then add the Parmesan cheese and parsley; season with salt and pepper.

The third pot: Reduce the red wine by 1/4 from its starting amount, then add the beef reduc-

tion and black peppercorns; simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken, then strain and set aside.

Saute the vegetables until just soft and season.

To plate up this dish: Place some of the polenta onto a plate with the vegetables and cut the beef tenderloin about 2 inches (4- to 5-ounce portion), one piece per person, and place it next to the polenta; place the crispy soft shell crab over the vegetables. Ladle 1 ounce of black pepper demi glace over the beef, place 1 tablespoon of the garlic aioli next to the crab and serve.

(Diana Helfand, author of “Hawaii Light and Healthy” and “The Best of Heart-y Cooking,” has taught nutrition in the Kapiolani Community College culinary arts program.)