My mother was born and raised in Waialua, so I spent considerable time at Waimea Bay on the North Shore. Waimea is one of the most breathtaking beaches I have experienced, and during the summer it is brimming with sea life, including some of my favorite seasonal eating fish — oama, halalu, akule and papio.
We spent many a summer day fishing, then coming home to cook and eat our catch.
To prepare for all the fresh summertime fish that will soon be available, I suggest stocking your refrigerator with these white wines:
2017 Birichino Malvasia Bianca (roughly
$17 a bottle): This is an exotic, aromatic white with a
lychee-like character. But don’t be fooled into thinking it will be sweet because of its perfume. The Malvasia is medium-dry to dry, remarkably light- to medium-bodied, with a crisp, lime-like edge. Try it with deep-fried, crispy oama, which I would typically serve with mayonnaise, a dash of shoyu and chili pepper water, garnished with thinly sliced shiso leaves. So ono!
I would also drink this wine well chilled with pan-fried crispy halalu or akule, served with shoyu and finely grated daikon and/or ginger, and garnished with thinly sliced green onion.
2016 Hooked Riesling (roughly $15 a bottle): My father liked the shoyu for his pan-fried akule mixed with healthier amounts of daikon and ginger, and a dash of chili pepper water. If that spicier mix is more to your liking, I would instead recommend the Hooked Riesling from Germany, again served well chilled.
The ever-so-slight hint of sweetness will refresh the palate after the prickle of ginger and chili pepper, and the lower alcohol level will make the pairing more even, thirst-quenching and refreshing.
For several summers, I also worked on Maui Land &Pineapple Co.’s Honolua Plantation. Among my most memorable experiences was joining a local hui of longtime pineapple workers as they would net akule when the fish came close enough to shore.
Many of the workers became quite skilled at drying the fish, as a way to prolong its shelf life. This was a whole ’nother delicacy, which I took an immediate liking to. Because salt is a major component in dried fish, I again suggest the Hooked Riesling. It would be quite the ying-yang pairing, a match of saltiness with a slight sweetness.
2016 Sella &Mosca Vermentino di Sardegna (roughly $17 a bottle): Another akule preparation would be to marinate the fish in olive oil, calamansi and chili pepper water, then grill it. Top the fish with a mix of finely diced tomatoes, onions and a lemon-herb vinaigrette. Serve some fresh arugula on the side to soak up and marry with the juices from the cooked fish and vinaigrette.
To pair with this savory approach, try the Sella &Mosca, a dry, mineral-scented, crisp, lighter white wine from the island of Sardegna, Italy. It will interact with this dish just as a fresh squeeze of lemon would.
If you’re using a lot of fresh herbs, another interesting match would be the 2016 Domaine Skouras “Zoe” (roughly $15 a bottle) from Greece. You will see how the wine’s innate aromatics connect with the herbs in a very dynamic pairing.
The Sella &Mosca is also a good choice with another bountiful fish of summer, papio. I prefer papio simply pan-fried, but if you want to be a little more adventurous, consider creating a white wine sauce after removing the fish from the pan. Deglaze with some white wine, letting it reduce it by 60%. Off the heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice, a touch of butter and perhaps a teaspoon of pickled capers.
If you’d like to try something different, consider the 2017 Cambiata Albarino (roughly $19 a bottle). From Monterey, Calif., this subtlely aromatic white wine has enough texture to balance the butter in the sauce, and just enough crisp, palate-cleansing acidity to make things interesting and dynamic.
Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.
