Island Eating: Nanise's Coconut Asiasi

Smoked Coconut Asiasi, Red Cabbage Slaw and Steamed Breadfruit

If you really crave that flavor of smoked fish, but can’t be bothered with all the drama – this is a quick and easy way to create smoked fish, on your stove top. If you have a big family, the good thing about this method is that you can do a large amount in a short space of time.

Smoked Coconut Asiasi

You will need:

Pulu popo (this is the fluffy/stringy material on the inside of the coconut husk. If you can’t get this, you can use woodchips).

Fresh Asiasi, filleted (this is yellow fin tuna – but you can use any good, firm fish)

A good heavy bottomed pot

A metal steamer insert + lid

Tinfoil

Mine just happened to fit inside my big pot, but you can use the smaller ones that fold into the pot, or you can use any small rack that will fit inside a larger pot or baking dish – be creative.

Method: 

Pull out some pulu popo and make sure it’s dry. If it’s slightly damp you can put it onto an oven tray on a low heat and turn it over every couple of minutes until it’s dried out.

Place the pulu popo inside a sheet of tin foil and fold over twice. This is to stop the fish liquid from dripping onto the smoking pulu popo. Place this onto the bottom of your pot (dry – with no liquid). Put your steamer ontop and then place your fish into this, and pop the lid on.

Wrap tinfoil around the pot, so that the smoke can’t escape. Do your best to scrunch in the corners.

Place the pot over the element on a high heat, and watch closely as it starts to heat up and smoke. When you can see and smell smoke, turn down the heat. You don’t want the pulu popo to burn up quickly – the idea is to get it giving off it’s smoke slowly.

Set your timer for 10 minutes.

Red Cabbage Slaw with Guava & Virgin Coconut Oil Dressing

Ingredients:

Kapisi Saiga (or bok choy)

Red Cabbage

Carrot

Guava Syrup (fresh passionfruit juice is a good substitute + a little brown sugar)

Virgin Coconut Oil

White Vinegar

Slice your cabbage finely, and grate your carrot and put into a bowl. Mix together 3-4T of guava syrup, 1T of virgin coconut oil and 1T of white vinegar and mix it up. Taste it to make sure you get a nice balance of sweet & sour, and add more of what you need. Pour over the slaw and toss it all together.

Steamed Breadfruit

You will need a nice ripe breadfruit, top and bottom it and then slice it. My one was too moko (raw) so you need one that riper than that ;) Pop it into the steamer and put it on for 10minutes. Check after 10 minutes, if it’s nice and soft it’s ready – otherwise blast it for another couple of minutes.

Check out more of Nanise's great recipes over on her My Samoa Kitchen Facebook page and if you're planning a trip to Samoa you can book this fantastic Taste of Samoa package - this 4 day package works in association with the Samoa Culinary Association to include meals either at or prepared by chefs from some of Samoa’s best restaurants.