The iconic Hawaiian plate lunch is an overloaded plate of delicious food, often comprised of two proteins, two starches, gravy and a fried egg. In this episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I reimagine this craveable meal with a hand-chopped venison burger topped with homemade gravy and a fried egg, jumbo grilled shrimp, a humble macaroni salad and a heaping scoop of white rice.
Instructions
The Macaroni Salad
- 1 pound macaroni, cooked to al dente, rinsed with cold water and drained
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 2 cups thinly sliced celery
- 1/3 cup minced parsley
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons spicy apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds, toasted
- 2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and refrigerate for several hours. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the lunch plate.
Grilled Wild Shrimp
- 1 pound of U-8 to 10 wild-caught shrimp, head on
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup minced scallions
- 1 minced hot chile (jalapeno works great)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Devein the shrimp, but leave the shell, head and tail on. Cut a shallow slit along the back of shrimp shells with a small sharp knife. Remove the vein with your fingers or tip of the knife.
Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and mix to combine. Add the shrimp and marinate for an hour.
Grill over medium indirect heat until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the lunch plate.
Venison Loco Moco
- 1 pound venison trim
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 2 tablespoons Andrew Zimmern’s Moroccan Grill Seasoning
- 4 eggs
- Beef gravy (recipe below)
- Cooked white rice, for serving
Hand chop the venison and bacon. In a large bowl, mix the meat together with onion and grill seasoning. Divide into 4 patties. Grill to medium over high direct heat.
Fry the eggs in butter over high heat, you want lacy, crispy edges. While doing so place some rice, macaroni salad, shrimp and a venison patty on each plate. Cover the patties with gravy, and top with a fried egg. Serve right away.
Beef Gravy
- 3 pieces of veal or beef shin, about 2 pound
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Banyuls vinegar or red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the veal shin bones and shallots in a roasting pan and cook in the oven for 2 hours.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place on a burner over low heat. Push the shin bones and shallot to one side and add the flour. Whisk the flour into the pan drippings to make a roux. Cook for a minute then add the beef stock slowly in batches, whisking to try to prevent clumps. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the roasted fond. Add the vinegar, stirring to combine. Pour the liquid and solids into a saucepan, cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
Strain the gravy into another saucepan and discard the solids. Simmer the liquid until it has thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.