Cheers to a Tropical Evening

What to do? What to do? If you were to Google National Mai Tai Day, you might just get two different answers. One is today. The other is August 30th. The first was established by an organization that gives us one cocktail for each day of the year. Today’s cocktail is a Mai Tai.

However; the folks at Trader Vic’s say Victor “the Trader” Bergeron himself invented the original Mai Tai on August 30, 1944. They insist the official day must be when Vic crafted his rum drink for a Tahitian friend. Vic’s friend exclaimed “Mai tai roa ae!” which is Polynesian for “out of this world”. Since it’s inception, the Mai Tai has become the most replicated tropical drink of all time.

The solution? Enjoy your Mai Tai all summer long. In our house, it’s one of those drinks we serve up every summer. It’s the perfect weekend cocktail to sip while lounging on the back patio. Of course you know me, I can’t just make a pitcher of Mai Tai and call it a day. You’ve got to have some yummy dishes, too. One of our favorites back in the day when a Mai Tai was the drink of choice while we walked along the sandy shores in Bora Bora was to dine on Mahi Mahi. The Mahi Burgers served at Bloody Mary’s were amazing. Part of what made the Mahi or any fish so amazing in Tahiti is that the fish you ate in the afternoon was the one harpooned that morning.

While nothing we get here on the mainland can compare, these Pineapple Glazed Filets do capture the essence of a tropical isle. Happy Mai Tai Day everyone!

Aina ahiahi napo’o ’o Mai Tai
(Mai Tai Sunset Supper)
Shrimp Bruschetta
Pan-Roasted Pineapple Glazed Mahi-Mahi
Tropical Pineapple Fried Rice
Mai Tai Cocktails

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Shrimp Bruschetta
1 lb cooked Small Shrimp
2 Roma Tomatoes
1 Garlic Clove,
1 tablespoon fresh Parsley
2 tablespoons Banana Sauce
1 tablespoon packed Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1-1/2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 French Baguette
Additional Olive Oil as needed

From the container of cooked shrimp, reserve 16 whole shrimp for garnish. Chop remaining shrimp, place in a bowl. Core tomatoes, remove seeds. Chop tomato, add to the shrimp. Finely mince garlic an parsley, add to the shrimp mixture.

Add banana sauce, brown sugar, olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover and chill.

Heat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Trim an discard ends of the baguette. Slice remaining baguette into 16 rounds. Lightly brush one side of each piece of bread with oil. Arrange bread rounds, oiled side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Place under the broiler for 1 minute. Turn and broil other side until lightly browned, about a minute longer.

Arrange toasted baguette on a serving platter, oiled side up. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of shrimp mixture on top of each bread slice. Garnish with whole shrimp. Serve and enjoy.

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Pan-Roasted Pineapple Glazed Mahi-Mahi
1 teaspoon fresh Ginger
2 cups Pineapple Juice
2-1/2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Dark Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
4 (6 oz) Mahi-Mahi Fillets
Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
2 Green Onions

Peel and freshly grate ginger. In a mixing bowl, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and crushed red pepper. Measure out 1/2 cup of pineapple mixture, reserve rest.

Place Mahi-Mahi fillets in a heavy, resealable plastic bag. Pour 1/2 cup of pineapple mixture over fish. Seal bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning bag occasionally to evenly distribute marinade.

Lightly spray grill pan with cooking spray. Brush pan with vegetable oil and place over medium-high heat until hot. Remove fish from bag; discard any remaining marinade in bag. Place fish, skin side up, on grill pan. Grill about 5 minutes or until nicely browned.

CAREFULLY turn fish, reduce heat to medium and continue to grill 10 minutes longer, until fork-flaky.

While fish is grilling, bring reserved pineapple mixture to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Maintain a gently rolling boil for 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup. While the glaze reduces, slice green onions for a garnish and set aside.

Plate fish, drizzle with pineapple mixture. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Tropical Pineapple Fried Rice
2 Garlic Cloves
5 Green Onions
2 tablespoons fresh Ginger
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, cut into long thin strips
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, cut into long, thin strips
1 can (15 oz) Pineapple Chunks
Chicken Stock as needed
2-1/2 cups White Rice
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Peel and finely grate garlic cloves, set aside. Trim green onions, chop; separating white and pale green of the bulb from the green parts of the onion. Set aside. Peel and grate fresh ginger, set aside. Stem and core green bell pepper. Cut half the pepper into long, thin strips, set aside. Reserve remaining half for another use. Stem and core red bell pepper. Dice half on the pepper, set aside. Reserve remaining half for another use.

Drain pineapple chunks into a 4 cup measuring cup. Add enough chicken stock to the pineapple juice to measure 3-1/3 cups of liquid. Set liquid aside.

Rinse rice until water runs clear. Place in a large saucepan with pineapple juice-chicken stock mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cover and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Spread cooked rice out in a casserole dish or rimmed baking sheet and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, combine Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, ginger and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a wok or large skilled, heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Stir-fry garlic and white-pale green parts of the green onion until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Add rice, pour Teriyaki mixture over rice; bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and cook until warmed through and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add pineapple chunks and cooking until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Transfer to serving platter. Garnish with bell peppers as desired.

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Mai Tai Cocktails
2 (6 oz) cans Pineapple Juice
1 cup Orange Juice
6 oz Captain Morgan Spice Rum
4 oz Malibu Rum
1 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 oz Orgeat syrup
Splash of Grenadine
Ice as needed
Optional Garnish
Fresh Pineapple
Maraschino Cherries

Combine pineapple juice, orange juice, rums, triple sec, and Orgeat syrup in pitcher. Gently stir to blend. Pour Mai Tai into ice-filled cocktail glasses and top with Grenadine.

If desired, cut a fresh pineapple into wedges. Trim leaves from the top of the pineapple. With a toothpick, skewer pineapple leaf, wedge and a cherry together. Balance on the rim of the glass as a garnish.

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Enjoy!