Recipes

Chicken Hekka – Photo courtesy of Champuru.net

I did some grocery shopping at Foodland Farms (their new surname) in Aina Haina last weekend, where in the meat department, I came across a tray of chicken parts named “Island Chicken Hekka”. Which struck me on several fronts: first that it’s been a while since I’ve last had Chicken Hekka; and second that, well, that’s quite a specialized cut!

I mean, what supermarkets beyond Hawaii would you find cuts of chicken designated specifically for Chicken Hekka? California? Doubt it. New York? No way.

What’s more odd, is that this tray of “Island Chicken Hekka” (looks like they crossed-off “Island” because the chicken isn’t locally produced) is simply randomly-cut pieces from various parts of the bird, including the wing, breast, back and wherevahz.

Which must mean whoever is the manager or butcher of Foodland Farms’ meat department is basing this off their own personal Chicken Hekka recipe. Where at this point you might be asking, “What the heck is Chicken Hekka?”

Well, doing some quick “Google Fu’ing”, according to the late and great Honolulu Star Bulletin, “Hekka is a sukiyaki-type dish of plantation origin that consists of chicken and vegetables.” Sounds about right. I highly doubt anyone in China, Japan, the Philippines or Portugal have heard of “Chicken Hekka”. Heck, it just may have been named “Chicken Hekka” by the very meaning of “Chicken with whatever the HECK else thrown in with it”.

Really, it is though. Take a look at this recipe, courtesy of Sam Choy:

Chicken Hekka
Sam Choy

• 2-1/2 pounds chicken thighs or breasts, cut into strips
• 3 tablespoons macadamia nut oil
• 1/2 finger ginger, minced
• 2 cans bamboo shoots, sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, cut saimin-style
• 1 round onion, cut in half moon slices
• 3 medium carrots, julienned
• 1 package pre-sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 3 stalks celery, julienned
• 1/2 bundle watercress, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 block tofu, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 5 bundles of bean thread

Marinade:
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup macadamia nut oil
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 tablespoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Sauce:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate chicken for 30 minutes. Slice vegetables, mix and set aside. Blend sauce ingredients and set aside. Brown chicken in marinade and 3 tablespoons of macadamia nut oil to which you have added the half finger of minced ginger. Add all vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Add sauce and bean threads and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes.

That’s certainly lots o’ stuff in there.

Now check out my mother’s recipe:

Hilo Style Chicken Hekka (can use beef too!)
Mom

• 2 lbs. boneless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped
• 1 large round onion, sliced
• Green onion, chopped for garnish
• 1 block tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 can bamboo shoots (5.5 oz.)
• 1 can mushrooms (4.5 oz.), reserve liquid
• 2 bunches bean thread noodles (long rice)
• 1/3 cup shoyu
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup beer
• 1 tsp. salt

Heat oil in deep pan or wok, then add chicken, shoyu, sugar, beer, mushroom liquid and salt. When chicken is cooked through, add tofu, watercress, sliced onion, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and bean thread noodles and cook until until bean thread noodles are al dente. Garnish with green onions, then serve with hot rice.

I’ll make this recipe later after my kitchen is finished with its renovation, which is currently under way.

Cuts for Chicken Hekka? Check. Yet there’s other asian-inspired specialized cuts of meat in our local supermarket as well. At Don Quijote and Marukai, you’ll find boneless pork chops cut thin and labeled for Tonkatsu. For beef, of course we have short ribs labeled for Teriyaki and Kal Bi. There’s also very thin cuts of beef labeled for Sukiyaki…

What I have yet to see here in Hawaii supermarkets is beef labeled specifically for Beef Bourguignon, Daube or Stroganoff. All three of which sounds good right about now!