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Suzzette Metcalfe's Winning Recipe

13th Annual Maui Onion Recipe Contest

The professional division of the 13th Annual Maui Onion Recipe Contest on August 3rd, 2002 drew tons of heavyweight chefs - one of whom was Suzzette Metcalfe, Executive Chef for The Rusty Harpoon. Suzzette's Sweet Glazed Maui Onion Stuffed with Kalua Pork took home the gold, and will also be featured on Hawaii's Kitchen with Brickwood Galuteria (to air on KHON Fox Channel 2 before the end of the year).

All entrants were to create an entrée, pupu, or soup or salad, all featuring Maui Onion (and other local ingredients were encouraged). At noon the six judges gathered round to taste the entrants' various dishes. Upon reaching Suzzette's station, the judges were instantly convinced that her Sweet Glazed Maui Onion Stuffed with Kalua Pork was the winner. Here's the winning recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

4 Large Maui Onions
2 3/4 Cups Red Wine
2 3/4 Cups Reduced Braising Liquid from Kalua Pork
3 Cups Kalua Pork
A little Olive Oil
4 Ounces Foie Gras Rough Chopped (optional)
1 1/4 Cups Finely Chopped Shallots
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/2 Cup Shredded Basil
Salt & Pepper

TARO ROOT PUREE:

1 Large Taro Root, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Large Potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
2 3/4 Cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Butter
Truffle Oil (optional)

MUSHROOM MIX:

Olive Oil
3/4 Pound Assorted Wild Mushroom
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1/2 Cup Shredded Basil
1/4 Pound Pohole Ferns

METHOD:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Peel the outer layer from the onions.

In large pans

2) Bring pork juice and red wine to simmer. Add onions and poach gently until soft. Remove onions from pan, reserving liquid.
3) Carefully going in from the top, pull out the onion hearts, leaving a thick exterior shell to hold the stuffing. Mince the onion hearts.
4) Mince the pork.
5) Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the minced pork, onion, foie gras, shallot, garlic and basil, sauté.
6) Carefully stuff the onions.
7) Place the onions in a roasting pan, pour the reserved cooking liquid around and over onions.
8) Roast for about 30-40 minutes, basting regularly until onions are glazed and golden brown.
9) While the onions are roasting, make the Taro Root Puree: put taro and potato in a pan with garlic and milk to cover. Season. Simmer until soft. Drain off 3/4 of milk.
10) Add butter and process in blender till smooth. Season. Keep warm.
11) Sauté Mushroom Mix with garlic, basil, and olive oil.
12) To Serve: place each onion in the center of plate surrounded with Taro Root Puree and mushrooms. (Serves 4)

No stranger to the restaurant business, Suzzette has spent the last six months as Executive Chef for The Rusty Harpoon and was General Manager the year before. Prior to The Rusty Harpoon, Suzzette was Executive Chef at The Pasta Tree (Milwaukee), and Marché, Feast, Vanilla Bean Bakery (all in Chicago), Sous Chef at Brassiere T (Northfield IL), and Poissionier for Trio (Chicago). At Trio, Suzzette set her goals for excellence under renowned Pastry Chef, Gale Gand, and winner of the James Beard 2002 award, Chef Rick Tramanto. Suzzette spent the next five years studying under them, helped open three of their restaurants, and presently consults with them.

Now Suzzette is back to her passion in The Rusty Harpoon's kitchen using fresher products, adding more seasoning, cutting her own steaks, smoking meats in-house, and overall increasing morale in the kitchen and quality of food served. We should expect many fabulous food creations from The Rusty Harpoon in the coming months; they just had a great celebration for the restaurant's seventh anniversary on August 10th, 2002. Suzzette has already introduced a delicious Chocolate Chip Pie and incredible Tiramisu to the dessert menu, along with countless new appetizers. She is planning to offer her award-winning Sweet Glazed Maui Onion Stuffed with Kalua Pork as a special in coming months, so stay tuned.

For more information about Suzzette Metcalfe and The Rusty Harpoon, please call her at 808-661-3123.

Edited by Dave Shultz

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