Food, family, and hospitality are the cornerstones of Hawaiian culture. Generations of my husband’s family have lived, loved and prospered in the Hawaiian Islands, a place steeped in history and tradition. Traditional cooking is a sure way to bring the whole family together. Having been raised by his grandparents on Kauai, and since he moved to the mainland, he sometimes craves home cooking and the memories he keeps. So to fill that need and pass on the love of Hawaiian food to our family, we’ve learned how to create one of our favorites, Hanamaulu Chicken, right here in our own home. And to quote Grandma “People have to eat.” So why not eat right?
I like to call this recipe a memory revival recipe, for two reasons. The first reason, because trying it brings back many good memories, and the second, because my husband had to experiment with it from memory to get it right. I have to admit there were some ups and downs for a while, but with great diligence and a heart to perfect the real Hanamaulu chicken recipe for our family to share, he achieved this truly delicious meal. Traditionally, this chicken comes in a Box Lunch, available to order at various restaurants on the islands. It is usually accompanied by Won Tons, Char Sue, Macaroni Salad, Rice and Oriental Salad. I intend to post these recipes to share in the future.
Ingredients for 1 pound of chicken:
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium piece of ginger root (peeled and crushed into small pieces)
1/2 tablespoons Salt
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 tablespoons Sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon MSG
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound. Chicken thighs
Ingredients for 5 pounds of chicken:
1 1/2 teaspoons Black pepper
1 large piece of ginger root (peeled and crushed into small pieces)
1 tablespoon Salt
12 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. Sesame oil
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 tbsp. Oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. MSG
2 tablespoons garlic powder
12 tablespoons soy sauce
4-5 pounds Chicken Thighs
Chicken preparation:
I recommend using only chicken thighs for this recipe. They should be boned and then cut in half widthwise. And for God’s sake, leave it on the skin. This process may take some getting used to, but trust me, it’s worth it in the end. Once you’re done boning and cutting, take a fork and pierce each piece all over.
Preparation of the marinade:
Depending on the amount of recipe you choose, combine all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a large bowl. I prefer to use a tupperware with a lid. Once all the ingredients are well mixed, add all the chicken pieces and coat the chicken well with the marinade. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for up to 24 hours or longer, stirring and coating the chicken several times during that time. The longer the chicken can be marinated, the better.
Note on the use of MSG. Many people prefer not to use MSG due to supposed health problems. MSG is a meat tenderizer and flavor enhancer. I have found that adding it to this recipe speeds up the absorption rate of the marinade into the meat. It’s okay if you’d rather not use it, you may just need to prolong the marinating process for a while.
Preparation of the dough:
This is the batter combination for each pound of chicken you choose to cook at one time.
1 cup of flour
1 black pepper
So if I were to cook 2 pounds at a time and save the rest for later, I would double this mix, and so on.
Now they were ready to cook.
After your chicken has marinated the proper amount of time, you will want to fry this chicken. I recommend a deep fryer, but you can also use a wok or skillet, as long as you can completely submerge each piece of chicken. The recommended oil for frying is peanut oil. It is a lighter oil and has a higher heat tolerance than vegetable oil. Set your deep fryer temperature to 375 or you can use a cooking thermometer to measure the temperature of your oil.
Note on frying chicken or any other meat for that matter:
When you are ready to fry, remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Very cold meat will lower the temperature of the oil and cause the meat to be underdone. Basically you want your oil to stay very hot, so this is the best way. Very hot oil will give you a very crisp and very juicy meat.
Okay, now your chicken is marinated, at room temperature, and your frying oil is hot at 375.
Cover each piece of chicken with the previous batter, I recommend 4 pieces at a time to cook together, and place the chicken in the hot oil. Allow the chicken to fry for 4 to 6 minutes depending on the size of each piece, 6 min. for large pieces. When done, remove chicken from oil and allow chicken to dry on straining rack or paper towels. The chicken will be hot, so let it cool on a wire rack before eating.
Well I think I covered everything. It is a pleasure to share with you this family recipe; I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do. Hello!