Outdoor Entertaining in Hawaii, with Recipes

Lobster-Truffle Salad with Big Island Corn Pudding

Big Island Corn Pudding

• 1/3 cup butter
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1/3 cup chopped leeks
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1-1/3 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons shoyu (dark soy sauce)*
• 1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 4 large eggs (beaten)
• Lobster-Truffle Salad (recipe follows)
• Grape tomatoes, quartered

Preheat oven to 400°F. In large skillet over medium heat melt butter and olive oil. Add corn and leeks; sauté 5 minutes. Remove half the corn-leek mixture; reserve.

Add garlic to pan, cook one minute. Add cream, chicken stock, shoyu, and basil. Bring to simmer; cook 10 minutes. Using whisk, slowly add cornmeal to simmering liquid. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 to 8 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Transfer hot pudding mixture to blender. Cover and carefully blend on low speed. Add beaten eggs very slowly. Continue to blend 3 minutes on low speed. Stir in reserved corn-leek mixture.

Lightly coat eight 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins or custard dishes with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully add pudding mixture to ramekins, filling almost to top. Transfer dishes to baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven rack.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes. (Puddings will start to puff.) Check doneness by inserting wooden pick in center of several puddings; pick should come out almost clean. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven; cool slightly. To serve, run thin, sharp knife around edges of puddings; upend each ramekin over individual serving dish. (Puddings will deflate.) Top each pudding with Lobster-Truffle Salad. Garnish with grape tomatoes. Makes 8 servings.

*Shoyu is a premium, unfiltered dark soy sauce. It has a sharp, clear, meaty-mushroom flavor.

Lobster-Truffle Salad
In medium skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 1/4 pound cooked lobster meat; toss with butter. Heat lobster through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Toss lobster with fresh micro greens, fresh parsley leaves, and kaiware sprouts.* Toss with truffle oil just to coat; season with salt and pepper.

*Kaiware sprouts are tiny daikon radish sprouts. Their delicate heart-shape leaves carry a spicy punch. Look for them in Asian markets. Alfafa sprouts can be substituted, but they will not be as flavorful.