American Samoa

Oka I'a
(Raw fish in coconut cream)

I'll begin by saying that this is not a dish that I will ever make again...

The original recipe called for three pounds of raw fish. Not only would this have been ridiculously expensive (the yellow fin tuna at Kowalski's Market is $14.99/lb.), it also would be a lot of raw fish for just Andy and me to consume. Figuring that this dish is not one that is best for leftovers (raw fish isn't something that fares well over a course of several days), I decided to third the recipe.

It was a extremely simple dish to prepare, taking less than 15 minutes to chop all of the components, and then chilling it for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Forgetting that it looked like vomit or the intestines of that creature at the beginning of The Empires Strikes Back, Andy and I dug in. While this dish tasted good (it really did have a good flavor!), neither of us could get over the texture. Each of us had about three bites, and then could not deal with the raw fish feeling in our mouths. We ended up dropping the dish off at my parents' house and going out for Mexican food. I have yet to hear how the dish fared at Ma and Pa Temple's. So, I would not recommend this dish if you are squeamish about texture. Its main component is raw fish, so obviously that is the main texture.

Here is how I cooked the recipe, thirded from the original:

American Samoan Oka I'a

Ingredients:
-1 lb. yellow fin tuna, raw and cut into 1-2" pieces (you might also use snapper, mullet or gurnard)
-2/3 c. pure coconut milk
-1/3 c. water
-1/3 c. yellow onion, chopped
-1/3 c. fresh lump crab meat, chopped
-1/3 c. cucumber, chopped
-salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.