kruizing with kikukat

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Steamed Fish

Steamed dishes evoke feel-good moments.  Theres something very pristine and simple about eating food cooked with steam.  Oil is kept to a minimum, allowing food flavors to shine through.

Steamed fish is very popular here, especially during mullet season.  The Seaside Restaurant has built its reputation on fresh steamed mullet done simply with lemon and onion slices.  A variation to steaming fish with lemon and onion is to steam fish "chinese style".

"Chinese style" usually means that shoyu, and green onions are involved in some way.  Many different methods exist, and I use different  methods/ingredients depending on the fish.  A mullet, mu (big eye emperor), or opakapaka (snapper), would be doused with hot oil for the sizzle effect after the fish emerges from the steamer.  For fish slices, mahimahi being a favorite, I go with a method which does not entail the sizzling apres-steaming show.

Arrange fish slices in a steam/heat proof dish with a low rim or flange.
Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Smear sauce over fish slices and top with slivered green onions.  Steam for 20 minutes.

Dinner is ready!

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Chinese Steamed Fish Fillets
     1 lb fish fillets
     1 tbsp salted black beans, rinsed & mashed
     1 tbsp cornstarch
     2 tbsp shoyu
     1 tsp sugar
     1 tsp oil
     1 piece ginger, grated
     1 clove garlic, grated
     1 tbsp salted turnip, minced
     2 stalks green onion, chopped

Slice fish fillet into pieces 3/8" thick.  Place in a steam-proof dish.  Combine all remaining ingredients except green onions.  Spread over fish slices.  Sprinkle green onions.  Steam for 20 minutes.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Mushroom Risotto with White Truffle Oil

Want something truly decadent?  Mushroom Risotto with White Truffle Oil is where its at!  Creamy, unrestrained and guilt-free (well, two out of three isn't too bad) . . . less than an hour away, if you have all the ingredients on hand.  I actually had white truffle oil because I tried to recreate a frisee salad which was served at the Mariposa Restaurant in Neiman-Marcus (Honolulu).  I was devastated when they removed the frisee salad from their menu, and I'm still working on my copycat recipe for the dressing.

Eryngii Mushroom
While any combination of mushroom varieties will do, Ali'i Oyster mushrooms are truly the king of fungi.  Ali'i Oyster might be a term specific to this particular vendor, but more familiar names of this mushroom to people outside of Hawaii might be Eryngii or King Oyster Mushroom.  I love the texture and the flavor.  Portobello mushrooms were my favorite mushrooms until I tasted eryngii.  Perhaps this might change after I get my hands on some prized matsutake, but until then, this will be my go-to shroom.  It also makes me feel good that I am contributing to the local economy, as these are grown right here on the Big Island and are readily available in Hilo. 

Saute mushrooms until they wilt.
Be sure rice is well-coated with olive oil.
A bamboo spoonula works great for gently stirring risotto.
click on recipe title for printable recipe

     2 tbsp olive oil, divided
     2 tbsp butter
     2 tbsp minced onion
     2 tbsp minced parsley
     2 tbsp calvados
     2 tbsp water
     8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into 1/2" 
          pieces
     1/2 tsp rock salt
     1 c arborio rice
     4 c  chicken stock, simmering
     1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
     1/2 c cream
     salt and black pepper to taste
     white truffle oil (allow 1/8-1/4 tsp per serving bowl)

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and butter in heavy 5-quart dutch oven.  Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add parsley and mix well.  Add calvados and water.  Stir until alcohol evaporates.  Add mushrooms and salt. When mushrooms release liquid, remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.  Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add rice and stir until completely coated with oil.  Add 1/2 c chicken stock to rice, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed.  Repeat with remaining chicken stock until only 1/2 c remains.  Add mushrooms back to pan.  Add remaining chicken stock and stir until absorbed.  Add Parmesan cheese and cream, stirring gently until cheese is melted and cream is absorbed.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving bowl with a drizzle of white truffle oil.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Restaurant Chatter: Village Burger

Village Burger is a charming burger joint at the mouth of the food court in the Parker Ranch Center.  Its locally owned and features products grown/raised locally (Big Island).  The owner/chef enjoyed an illustrious career in the hotel food service industry before his Village Burger venture.

Prior to 1984, having a burger (sandwich) for dinner was unheard of in my family.  The only burger we ever had for dinner was served with rice.  When I went to Seattle, Uncle George and Aunty Char took me to Red Robin (4th Avenue) for dinner, and a whole new world of "burgers for dinner" was opened.  Red Robin showcased burgers dressed in almost every way imaginable, although Jungle Jim's, a rival Seattle burger joint, offered a peanut butter burger.  Let's just say that Red Robin set the standard for me.

Fast-forward twenty-seven years later.  People are not looking for a menu packed with odd combinations for building a monster burger.  People (well, me, at least) want to "eat local".  And if this is you, well then, Village Burger is where its at!  The place is clean, and you can even watch as your meal is prepared.  If you prefer to stroll, the buzzing, light-up UFO allows you to roam while you wait.

Rancher's burger
The menu isn't very large, but it showcases local stuff:  tomatoes, beef, lettuce, mushrooms, etc.  The two most popular burgers are the Rancher's burger ($7.50) and the Kahua burger ($11.50).  The Kahua burger, the pricier of the two, is made with Wagyu beef raised at Kahua Ranch.  For non-red meat eaters, there is a Hamakua mushroom burger (described by a friend as super salty).  The fries are hand-cut and are best with the parmesan goop.

fries with parmesan goop
I have been to Village Burger more than a half-dozen times, and this speaks volumes considering its located over 50 miles from where I live.  What is even more odd, and now is where I come clean, is that I have never eaten beef at Village Burger.  I can hear the gasping noises now.  Please, don't stop reading.  I need to explain.  While I do eat beef (yes, yes, smirk & giggle now), I have not been able to bring myself to order beef at Village Burger because there is something I like even more.  Tuna (okay, pick yourselves up off the floor)!!!!!!

My selection has always been the Seared Ahi Nicoise Salad ($12.00).  The ahi is chopped fine and shaped into a patty which tastes hauntingly similar to a fish burger Mom made when I was growing up.  The patty is pan fried and is presented atop a medley of lettuces and tomato wedges (of course, I don't eat this).  Garnishing the salad are bits of chopped boiled egg, kalamata olives, haricots vert, and crispy fried potatoes.  The dressing is a light vinaigrette.  My only improvement on this would be to tear the lettuce into smaller pieces and, of course, de-seed the tomatoes.

seared ahi nicoise salad

herbal tea
While beer and soft drinks (both pedestrian drinks and specialty sodas like Jones Soda) are available, I cannot resist the herbal iced tea.  The herbs are grown by the students of Waimea Middle School.  Mint, tarragon and lemon grass are the main players  in the herbal tea.  In spite of my sweet tooth, I always drink this unsweetened.

I have never seen any desserts being served at Village Burger, and if anyone reading this knows Edwin Goto, please having him contact me so I can hook him up with some great desserts.  I know someone who bakes!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Cold Noodles with Boiled Pork Topping

In spite of it being July, the weather here in Hilo has been awfully unpredictable.  At times, it feels like its November in Seattle instead of July in Hawaii.  Other times, it really does feel like I'm on a tropical island.  Those are the days I love, and dining on a cool meal is the way to go.  While I enjoy salads, not everyone here feels the same way, but a bowl of noodles, be it hot noodles on a cool day or cold noodles on a hot day, is something we can all agree upon.
 I look for fresh noodles whenever possible.  KTA now carries a variety of fresh noodle brands:  Maebo (Hilo-based, family-run business), Crown, Chun Wah Kam, and Sun Noodles (the last three are Honolulu-based companies), and Kilauea Market brings in noodles from both the mainland and Asia.  While I'm all for buying local, I find Chinese noodles to be the best suited for eating cold with boiled pork.  Cook noodles al dente, rinsing well with cold water to remove excess starch (I hate gummy, stuck-together noodles).

Boiled pork is something you'd likely not think of making, but its great to have on hand to nibble, either by itself or as a garnish for a bowl of noodles.  
A leg piece works best, as the fat is primarily limited to the perimeter and can easily be removed after boiling.
Slice pork thinly (1/4 inch).
Assemble sauce in a separate bowl
Garnishes such as slivered Japanese cucumber are delicious dipped the sauce along with the pork slices.
An alternative to serving as a noodle topping:  in a small dish, arrange slices of cold pork with sauce alongside.
click on title below for printable recipe
     1 piece of pork (leg, if possible)
     1" piece ginger, smashed
     water

Place pork and ginger in a pan.  Cover with water.  Bring water to a boil, then lower heat to simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes per pound or pork.  Drain and rinse pork well.  Remove skin and fat.  Slice meat into thin slices against the grain.  Pork can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.



     1 tbsp oil
     1 stalk green onion, minced
     1" piece ginger, grated
     1 clove garlic, minced
     1 chili pepper
     3 tbsp shoyu
     2 tbsp black vinegar
     2 tbsp water
     1 tsp salt
     2 tsp sugar
     2 tsp sesame oil
     1/8 tsp chicken powder

Place green onion, ginger, garlic and chili pepper in a small, heat-proof bowl.  Heat oil until smoking then pour over ingredients in bowl.  When sizzling subsides, add remaining ingredients.  Stir gently until salt, sugar,and chicken powder are dissolved.  Serve in small dishes alongside pork slices.
For Noodle Sauce:  Double sauce recipe, adding another tablespoon of water.  Ladle over noodles, cucumber strips, and pork slices.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Kim Chee Burgers

When its baseball season, teams/leagues often have fundraisers, selling everything from cookies to laulau.  One league is known for their kim chee burger fundraisers.  For years, The Help was on the "call list", receiving calls from excited mothers about the upcoming fundraising event.  The Help was infamous for buying a half-dozen of the burgers and polishing them off in a single sitting.  Most normal people can't eat a half-dozen burgers at one time, and most normal people likely don't want to limit consumption of these fantastic gems to baseball season, especially when grilling weather is year-round.

Kim chee burgers are unique in that kim chee, Korean pickled vegetables (nappa cabbage, in this case), represents the vegetable component of a typical burger.  The burger mix is a teriyaki-based conglomeration with sesame oil and ground sesame seeds giving it a Korean twist.   The burger mix is smeared very thinly onto the cut surface of a hamburger bun.  Because smearing the meat can be time-consuming, this is definitely something that can and should be made a few days before they are to be eaten.  The process begins by smearing the  buns with a thin layer of the burger mix.  Contrary to what some may think, the purpose of the thin layer is not to stretch pennies.  But I'm getting there.  The bun halves are frozen in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
When frozen (at least 2 hours), the buns are re-stacked into sets with a piece of parchment paper between meat layers and placed back into the bun bag.  These burgers cook quickly so they can be kept frozen up until 10 minutes before chow time.  When ready to serve, the burgers are cooked by grilling only the meat-side of the bun (hence the thin layer of burger mix).  A generous mound of kim chee is sandwiched between both bun halves before being devoured by hungry monsters.

click on recipe title for printable recipe 
Kim Chee Burgers

     1 lb lean ground beef
     2 tsp sugar
     2 tbsp shoyu
     1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted and ground
     2 tbsp sesame oil
     1 clove garlic, minced
     1" piece ginger, grated
     2 tbsp green onions, minced
     16 hamburger buns

Combine all ingredients except hamburger buns.  Spread about 2 teaspoons of beef mix onto each bun half, spreading all the way to the edges in a very thin, even layer.  Freeze in a single layer.  When frozen, stack with parchment paper between meat layers.  Cook each bun half meat-side down only on a hot grill. Meat should be cooked when bun is no longer cold.  Serve with slices of kim chee between halves.  
    

Monday, July 11, 2011

Frog Eye Salad

I am dedicating this post, Frog Eye Salad, to my amphibious brethren out there . . . those of you who, by sheer bum luck, tend to get caught in slippery situations beyond your control.  If this sounds like you or if you know someone who has webbed feet and can jump many times his/her body length, read on . . .

We are knee-deep in what is likely the soggiest summer in Hilo in the past 15 years.  I counted more days of rain than sun, which supports Hilo's infamy as being the wettest city in the United States.  I am so glad to have retired from league tennis, as I'd likely spend more time squeegee-ing the court than actually playing.  Bejeweled Blitz is a much better pastime!

I've come to the conclusion that I am a magnet for wet places, no matter how much I keep saying I don't like rain.  My four years in Seattle were miserably damp.  I'm likely the only person who has attempted to escape the Hilo rain, only to be drenched by a sudden downpour in the parking lot of the Kona Costco.  In another botched attempt to circumvent rain, I ran off to the Hapuna Prince and was treated to an amazing show that night: thunder, lightning, torrential rain.

acini di pepe
One of the silly traditions of league tennis in Hilo is the camaraderie-building potluck after each match, which often forces one to display acts of sportsmanship long after an opponent has humiliated you on the court.  Having played league tennis on Oahu for several years, I can safely say this practice does NOT happen there.  Lest I sound like an ingrate, it is because of these silly gatherings that I became acquainted with frog eye salad.  Someone on my team brought it as a potluck contribution.  It was absolutely delicious, but inimitable, as there was no market in Hilo which carried the "frog eyes", acini di pepe pasta.
That was way back in the early years of the 21st century, and Hilo today is much different place from what it was 10 years ago.  We have a new Safeway that has an olive bar, and that same Safeway also carries acini di pepe pasta!  Ribbit ribbit. . .



 click on recipe title for printable recipe
Frog Eye Salad

     1 c acini di pepe pasta
     water
     2 cans mandarin oranges
     1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple
     1 c sugar
     1/2 tsp salt
     2 eggs, well beaten
     3 tbsp flour
     8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
     4 c miniature marshmallows
     1 c maraschino cherries, drained (optional)
Bring water to a boil and cook acini di pepe pasta for 9 minutes.  Drain.  Drain mandarin oranges and pineapple, reserving 1 1/2 c of juice.  Refrigerate mandarin oranges and pineapple.  In a medium saucepan, combine juice with sugar, salt, eggs, and flour.  Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until thick.  Remove from heat.  Add drained pasta to sauce and mix gently.  Place in a large, covered bowl, and refrigerate overnight.  Add drained fruit, Cool Whip, and miniature marshmallows to acini di pepe mixture.  Combine gently and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Oxtails for Dinner: Khal Bi Style with Udon

I love oxtails!  I love oxtails!  I love oxtails!  Did I say I love oxtails?  When I was young, I'd be thrilled when my dad would order oxtail soup at restaurants.  My favorite part was the peanuts.  They'd be soft after the long cooking and just melt in your mouth.  I was also strangely fascinated by the gelatinous "eyes" on the ends of each oxtail segment.  Soup was much coveted because my parents never made oxtail soup.  Anytime oxtails were purchased, I knew they'd make oxtail stew, which was good, but definitely not at the same "like" level as soup. 

As an adult, I've had the opportunity to order my own oxtail meals in restaurants.  I have a hard time ordering anything else when I see oxtail soup on the specials menu.  A big bummer is when the oxtails haven't been sufficiently cooked.  Few things suck as much as tough oxtails.  In my mind, oxtails are supposed to be falling-off-the-bone soft.  Strangely enough, I've never made oxtail soup.  I'm not sure why, but somehow, a huge pot of oxtail soup that will take me several days to finish just doesn't sit well with me.  Ken's Pancake House in Hilo makes a good soup.  Its a Friday special.

A few years ago, I splurged on the Zuni Cafe cookbook.  Zuni Cafe is a restaurant in San Francisco which is famous for taking a basic dish like roast chicken and turning it into the kat's meow.  The first (and sadly, only) recipe I've tried from the cookbook is Red-Wine Braised Oxtails.  Its very "involved", but the reward is in the taste.  The meat is falling-off-the-bone tender.  After making it several times, I've come up with a few shortcuts so I plan to eventually post my recipe when I get more pictures.

When I went to Costco on Saturday, they had a whole bunch of oxtails.  Impulsively, I bought a pack, thinking I'd freeze them and eventually get around to making the Zuni Cafe-adapted recipe.  But The Help suggested I try to develop a copycat khal bi oxtail, like the one you can buy premade from George's Meat Market.  I groaned because this was not going to be a walk in the park.

Khal Bi Oxtails from George's Meat Market . . .la la la. . . heaven in a bag.  Stacey sure knows her way around oxtails.  Meat is exactly the way its supposed to be . . . silky and falling-off-the-bone.  The flavor is a sesame-laced teriyaki.  Best of all, its cooked so its just a matter of heating it up.

Realizing I had two main issues, the sauce and the cooking, I decided to tackle the sauce first.  George's Khal Bi Oxtails tastes a little bit like shoyu pork with a touch of sesame.  I pored through cookbooks and eventually settled on a sauce based on the recipe for "Ono Pork Butt" from one of the Moanalua High School Project Graduation cookbooks.  The second part, cooking method, came a little quicker since I threw in the towel and decided to just follow the Zuni Cafe recipe's cooking method (braise).

To get maximum flavor, brown all sides of each oxtail piece well.
Use a gravy separator to remove most of the liquid fat from the liquid.
Four hours later, I was very satisfied with my copycat recipe.  Because I had ample sauce (something the George's one lacks) I decided to serve the oxtails with blanched bok choy, thinking that the reduced, concentrated sauce would be nice with greens.  I was a little stumped on the starch, but at 3:30, I chose udon noodles.  Rice was too pedestrian, and saimin/ramen noodles would not be able to hold a strong sauce like this.  Udon noodles were substantial enough to handle the sauce.


If you are not lucky enough to have easy access to George's Meat Market, or if you are like me and want to eat more than two pieces without spending all the hard-earned DOE paycheck, please try my Khal Bi Oxtails.  And if you come up with a better cooking method that will produce meat that melts when you eat it, please share it with the rest of us.
Serve it in a bowl with udon noodles, blanched bok choy, and some liquid.
Here you see that some spicy shredded potato has been added to the bowl.
 click on recipe title for printable recipe
 Khal Bi Oxtails with Udon

     1 large package oxtails (3-4 lbs)
     oil
     garlic, grated
     ginger, grated
     1 c shoyu
     1/2 c mirin
     1 c brown sugar, packed
     1 c water
     1/2 c sake
     blanched bok choy
     udon noodles, cooked as directed on package

In a 5-qt dutch oven, heat oil and brown oxtails on all sides.  Add garlic and ginger to pot.  Place oxtails with "eyes" facing up.  Add shoyu, mirin, brown sugar, water, and sake.  Cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours.  Remove cover and bake 30 more minutes.  At this point, oxtails can be refrigerated overnight and hardened fat removed before proceeding, or use a fat separator to remove as much fat as possible.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake covered for 15 minutes or 30 minutes (if chilled overnight).  Remove cover and bake 30 minutes more. 


Monday, July 4, 2011

Celebrating with Lobster

Sometimes I just don't feel very American.  Its not that I'm anti-America (truth is, I love being an American), but there are many times that I feel the rest of the United States levies a special penalty against me (and everyone else who lives in the 808).  For example, many retailers in the continental U.S. will not extend free shipping offers to Hawaii addresses.  In fact, many take advantage of the opportunity to gouge us.  This is why I try to limit my online purchases to websites that offer reasonable shipping charges to Hawaii:  Amazon, Origins, Crocs, PT's Coffee, Petco, Arcata Pets, Apple, Verizon, just to name a few.  There have been many times where I've had a full cart and attempted to check out, only to go into cardiac arrest when the shipping charges were added.  Okay, enough of my rant!

Today, most of my fellow Americans will be celebrating Independence Day/Fourth of July.  In Hawaii, typical celebrations involve some type of beach activity.  Up until the County banned tents in Bayfront last year, people would camp out for days prior to July 4th just to get prime temporary real estate for viewing the fireworks (lit on Coconut Island).  Liliuokalani Gardens is always packed on this day, as it offers an even closer view of the fireworks.  This is when you know summer has arrived.

Summer means its time to dress down and beat the heat with cool and refreshing foods.  A throwback to my Seattle days is having strawberry shortcake for dessert.  Every street fair had a strawberry shortcake booth.  Not long after my Seattle days, I took a summer trip to visit Aunty Janice in Lanham, Maryland, just outside the Beltway from Washington, DC.  The Maryland trip turned out to be a conduit to the most awesome seafood . . . raw clams & oysters, crab cakes, soft shell crab. . . but no lobster.  I guess I needed to go further north for my all-time favorite seafood.


Its apparent I won't be going to Maine soon.  In fact, I don't think I'll be leaving my house anytime soon.  No, I'm not under self-imposed house arrest like I was last year.  I was told that the lazy, good-for-nothing hard-working police officers have set up road blocks all over Hilo to entrap ticket drivers who may have consumed too much alcohol.  This being a holiday, I began celebrating early in the day (cranberry juice with Ketel One Citroen).  I don't think my employer would look kindly at a DUI on my record.

Nope, I won't be going anywhere today.  I'll be staying at home and relaxing.  I have a whole menagerie to keep me company.  And I also have a decadent lobster salad sandwich waiting for me.


 click on recipe title for printable recipe
Giant Lobster Roll

     2 lbs lobster claws* (this will yield about 2 cups of meat)
     1/4 c mayonnaise
     salt & pepper to taste
     optional vegetables:  cucumber strips, lettuce, etc.
     12" baguette, filone, batard, ciabatta, hoagie, etc.

Combine lobster meat with mayonnaise.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Split bread.  Heap lobster onto bread and top with desired vegetables.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but its a reminder to people to keep things simple.  The lobster is very flavorful, so adding fillers is discouraged.  In fact, some purists may even opt out of the vegetables.  These people will also likely pooh-pooh the use of bread other than hot dog buns, which are traditionally split down the top-middle and filled with the lobster salad.
*purchased at Costco.  Comes pre-packaged in 2 lb. bags.  As you might have noticed in the 2nd picture, lobster pieces come scored, simplifying the shelling process.  Most claws just have 1 piece of cartilage in them.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Okazuya Food: Teriyaki Fish

Ever since I did the corned beef hash post last week, I've spent time reminiscing about the okazuya's I have frequented in Hilo and Honolulu.  If I had my way, I'd eat okazuya food for lunch everyday.  Because of the variety of foods, lunches could be different everyday.

Over 20 years and several boyfriends ago, I lived in Makiki (Honolulu) and enjoyed a carefree life, eating what I wanted, when I wanted.  On weekends, we enjoyed picking up okazu from a place called Kaneda's.  Kaneda's was located on School Street in Liliha.  For those of you familiar with Honolulu, chances are good that you know Kaneda's.  In addition to being an okazu-ya, they also did party catering.  They may even have been able to accommodate small functions on-site, but I don't know for sure.  All I know about Kaneda's is they sold something that really reminded me of home:  teriyaki fish.

My parents often received fish from friends and family.  Dad had friends who went fishing.  Mom's brother had lots of friends who went fishing.  Sometimes it would be fish with head and tail (reef fish like menpachi, kole, aweoweo) and other times it would be a fillet of a big fish (aku, ahi, ono).  I like most reef fish (yes, even with all the bones), but the big fish never appealed to me.  I won't touch aku (skipjack tuna) in any form, and I'll eat ono (wahoo) only if I have to.  There are only two ways I enjoy cooked ahi (yellowfin tuna):  broiled (must be the belly portion) and teriyaki.

Teriyaki ahi is "da bomb".  Because most of the ahi was given to us, we ended up with all kinds of odd-shaped pieces, hardly worthy of sashimi.  Mom would often make teriyaki fish with the odd pieces.  I thought that was something only our family made, as nobody else seemed to eat ahi like that.  Until I discovered Kaneda's.  Same teriyaki taste, same look of the finished product.  Yummmm.

Kaneda's closed sometime in the 90's.  I can't remember what kind of business took over their location, but I'm sure they don't make teriyaki fish.  But no worries . . . teriyaki fish is very easy to make.  The only forethought it requires is the overnight marinating.

Marinating the fish in a plastic bag (yes, Terri, this is a no-no) with the air sucked out gets the marinade evenly into all the odd shaped pieces of fish.
After marinating, the color of the fish will change to a dark maroon.  Drain marinade and pat fish pieces dry prior to dusting with flour.  Be careful not to burn the fish when frying.
Teriyaki fish (or any type of teriyaki) goes amazingly well with ranch dressing salads.
click on recipe title for printable recipe
     ahi, sliced 3/8" thick
     shoyu (same amount as sugar)
     sugar (same amount as shoyu)
     ginger, grated
     flour
     cooking oil

Make a simple marinade using equal parts of shoyu and sugar.  Add ginger.  Add fish.  Marinate overnight in refrigerator.  When ready to cook, drain marinade and dry fish slices with paper towel.  Dust fish in flour and pan fry in shallow oil until golden brown.  Watch carefully, as it can burn quickly.  Drain on paper towel layers.