Bamboo Server Papuan - Jonnie and Sharlene - LTCC Small Group

On Thursday we are having a couple from our church, Lake Tapps Community Church, (LTCC), small group over for dinner. Boy am I hoping this funky memory of mine has this right, but last Sunday, I think Sharlene said she had lived in Papa New Guinea. I thought it might be a blast from the past to create Papuan style food. Now, the only thing I know less about than Papuan cuisine is quantum physics. However, we live in the Internet age so let's ask Google. I found a list of popular dishes. Hey now, wait a minute, this looks like Hawaiian style cuisine. I may not score a touchdown, but I am confident of a field goal.

I really wanted to do a cast iron skillet for my next project, but clearly this is meant for a bamboo server. So, let's scope it out. The server holds nine items if you share compartments. Here is the plan and there is a shot with the food at the bottom of this post.

Proteins

Coconut Fish

WinCo has some nice thick frozen Ahi steaks. I tested the concept today, I think it will work. Two days before serving, I will take them from the freezer to the meat drawer to thaw.  30 minutes before serving, I will place these on a small skillet on my lowest BTU eye with some coconut oil, (which has a flash point of 350 degrees). Very simple flavoring, a bit of sea salt, a bit of ginger, a bit of red pepper. 15 minutes prior, toss coconut into the skillet.

Ground Chicken with Vegetables

I use the WinCo 95% lean ground chicken. The I added a cup of the Wal-Mart survival food vegetable stew, (one thing about survival food, you have to have recipes that work, or you barely survive). 1 can coconut milk, 1/5 cup tapioca flour. Spice to suit your taste, Kathy ground me coriander, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, mixed peppercorns, clove, black and green cardamon, allspice and bay leaves mixture a few days ago and I have been keeping it in the fridge, that is what I used and then black and red Hawaiian sea salt. Make a test patty and adjust spicing as needed. Using a spoon drop onto non-stick cookie sheet. After the two cookie sheets are in the oven, heat to 300 degrees, (if you try 350 you are awfully close to coconut oil's flash point).

Slow Roasted Pork Wrapped in Taro Leaves

Start 24 hours before serving, put a crockpot on low, place two level tablespoons of coconut oil in the crockpot. While the crockpot is warming up, I took two lean boneless pork loin chops, cut them in half, made a few slits for the flavoring, put them in the smoker for 30 minutes on low. Then, place some taro leaf on a plate, sprinkle some coconut, ginger, coconut oil, and sea salt (Alea if possible).  Wrap them up in Ti leaves. Whoops, I am in Washington State, no Ti leaves, hopefully the taro leaf will hold up.

Note: at two hours I checked on my crockpot and it was boiling, so I switched it off for an hour. This is going to be a bit tricky.

Note: at four hours before serving, I am going to dump a box of Great Value chicken broth into the crock pot, any leftovers will make a fine island style soup.

Starches

Black Rice and Coconut

Made up a pot of black rice, took four heaping tablespoons as soon as it finished cooking into a bowl. Added four level tbsp of shredded coconut, a teaspoon of powdered ginger, teaspoon of sesame oil and a half of an envelope of unflavored gelatin. Stirred it up, added salt and red pepper to taste. Tablespoon of pasteurized egg white, stir again, stick it in the microwave for 50 seconds, (I trust pasteurization, but also like to verify). Spoon onto a plate, form into balls with a flat bottom. Stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes to set up. Store in a covered pyrex. Can be served warm or cold.

Pumpkin Rice

Started with one bunch green onions, put them in a skillet with coconut oil on low temperature. After the onions had cooked a bit, took the rest of the black rice and got it warm. Started adding the spices, primary spice is allspice, teamed it with black and red pepper, ginger and garlic. Added a can of pumpkin.  This will go in the bowl in the center of the bamboo server.

Sweet Potato

Eight hours before serving, peel the potato, out of the thickest part cut a two inch cylinder. Cut it into four pieces. These are for serving. The rest of the potato can be eaten later. Place in crockpot between the pork, so the flavors can mingle. Just before serving, sprinkle a teaspoon of garam masala.

Do not overcook sweet potato!

Breadfruit Caraway

When we went to Islander's Mini Mart to pick up the taro leaf we saw these awesome bags of frozen breadfruit. 1 can chicken broth, 1 tablespoon coconut oil,  almond/coconut milk, sea salt, sprinkle with mortar and pestle caraway seed.