Mele Kalikimaka Is the Thing to Say
Flavors of Hawai'i at a luau-themed surprise party for my mother. (Recipe: Hawai'ian Huli Huli Grilled Chicken)
In our house, the holidays don’t begin until we’ve had the first of many viewings of our favorite Christmas movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
One of my favorite scenes happens to feature one of my favorite Christmas songs, the classic “Mele Kalikimaka” by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, played for me often as a child by my father.
Mr. Mike Ballard and I recently returned from a trip to Hawai’i with my parents, and I can’t tell you how many times we heard the song while we were there. I felt right at home.
Leading up to our family vacation, I was doing two things: researching Hawai’ian cuisine and trying to come up with a way to celebrate my mother’s birthday. So I hatched a plan: I would tell my mother I was testing some recipes for Around the World in 80 Plates, and she and my father should come for a tasting dinner dressed in tropical attire for the photo shoot. Instead, I would host a surprise birthday luau and invite her friends to the party.
As you can see from the photo, she was indeed surprised.
The birthday buffet featured traditional Hawai’ian foods, including juicy kalua pork sliders; skewers of grilled garlic shrimp; lehua salad layered with spinach, egg, ham, bacon, cheese, and peas; white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies; mai tai punch; and the star of the show, huli huli chicken.
In the Hawai’ian language, huli huli means “turn,” and huli huli chicken is a slowly grilled chicken with a rotisserie-style finish. The glaze makes a beautiful lacquer on the outside of the thighs while keeping the meat inside moist and tender.
This time of year, I get a bit tired of the traditional holiday foods after I’ve had them for the second or third time (here’s looking at you, roasted turkey), so dining in Hawai’i was a refreshing change of pace. And much like Chevy Chase, couldn’t we all use some sunny, tropical dreams at Christmastime?
This week’s subscriber exclusives: The quickest way to transport yourself to the tropics is in a glass. And after your seventeenth holiday gathering, a single glass may not be enough. Mai Tai Punch is designed to be made for a crowd … or for a pitcher in your refrigerator to administer as needed.
At a traditional Hawai’ian feast, kalua pork is cooked low and slow in a deep pit called an imu. In fact, kalua means “cooked in an underground oven,” and smoked pig is a luau’s most common main dish. While pit-smoked pork in Hawai’i is perfect on its own, I grew up in the South, and we need a bit of a sauce. My recipe for Hawai’ian Pork Sliders requires no digging — or access to a whole pig — just a slow cooker and a pork shoulder marinated overnight for a bit of saucy flavor.
Pineapple is abundant in Hawai’i, and my Sunshine Salad is a bright and cheerful side dish packed with pineapple chunks, fresh mango, crunchy carrots, peppery radishes, and a tangy vinaigrette that makes the whole thing shine. It’s perfect as part of your luau buffet spread or as a lovely addition to brunch.
And it’s not a party without cake. In this case, Pineapple Passionfruit Cheesecake, with my top-secret twist that takes just five minutes to make.
Hawai’ian Huli Huli Grilled Chicken
Hawai’ian cuisine can tend toward the sweet side, but don’t let the ingredients for this marinade fool you. They’re the perfect combination for achieving the beautifully lacquered glaze and crispy char on the outside of these juicy grilled chicken thighs. Mr. Mike Ballard grilled six dozen of these for our 25 guests, and it was the first dish we ran out of on the buffet. Even if you aren’t having a party, make more than you think you’ll need. They’ll disappear.
Thinking about substituting white meat instead? Don’t do it. The texture and inherent juiciness of chicken thighs is perfect for rotisserie-style grilling, and the flavor of the dark meat with the marinade can’t be topped.
6 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup cooking sherry (chicken broth or stock can be substituted)
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Place the chicken thighs in a large glass or plastic container that can be tightly sealed. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, sherry, ginger, and garlic. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs, stirring gently to coat all surfaces. Seal the container and refrigerate for at least eight hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat a grill on its lowest temperature setting. Add the chicken to the grill in batches to allow easy turning and even heating, reserving the marinade. Turn each piece often (approximately every five minutes), basting with the reserved marinade at each turn. Each piece is done when it has nice char at the edges and a quick-read thermometer registers 165°F. Repeat with remaining thighs. Allow to rest at least five minutes prior to serving. Makes six to eight servings as an entrée.
For $5 a month, you can get an additional weekly issue of Around the World in 80 Plates that includes bonus recipes not available to the public.
This week’s subscriber exclusives:
Mai Tai Punch: The quickest way to transport yourself to the tropics is in a glass. And after your seventeenth holiday gathering, a single glass may not be enough. Mai Tai Punch is designed to be made for a crowd … or for a pitcher in your refrigerator to administer as needed.
Hawai’ian Pork Sliders: At a traditional Hawai’ian feast, kalua pork is cooked low and slow in a deep pit called an imu. In fact, kalua means “cooked in an underground oven,” and smoked pig is a luau’s most common main dish. While pit-smoked pork in Hawai’i is perfect on its own, I grew up in the South, and we need a bit of a sauce. My recipe for Hawai’ian Pork Sliders requires no digging — or access to a whole pig — just a slow cooker and a pork shoulder marinated overnight for a bit of saucy flavor.
Sunshine Salad: Pineapple is abundant in Hawai’i, and my Sunshine Salad is a bright and cheerful side dish packed with pineapple chunks, fresh mango, crunchy carrots, peppery radishes, and a tangy vinaigrette that makes the whole thing shine. It’s perfect as part of your luau buffet spread or as a lovely addition to brunch.
Pineapple Passionfruit Cheesecake: It’s not a party without cake. In this case, Pineapple Passionfruit Cheesecake, with my top-secret twist that takes just five minutes to make.
Everyone loved the food at my surprise party! Angela got rave reviews.