Hawaiʻi Local Garlic Shrimp Plate (Kahuku Grindz)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large 12-inch heavy skillet
• •Rice cooker for the plate-lunch rice
• •Two-compartment takeout plate or shallow lunch plate

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the shrimp

   Pat the shrimp very dry, then season with salt and black pepper. Leave the shells on if your people at the table are willing, because the shell protects the meat and catches the garlic butter. If you want easier eating, split the shell down the back but keep it attached.

   Good shrimp smells clean and sweet, like the ocean and almost nothing else. If it smells strong, no make it the star of the plate.
2. 2

   Dust it light

   Mix the flour, paprika, and cayenne if using. Toss the shrimp through it and shake off the extra. You want a thin coat that grabs the sauce and browns at the edges, not a thick crust hiding the shrimp.

3. 3

   Sear the shrimp

   Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the shrimp in one layer and sear 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until the shells turn pink-orange and the flour spots go golden. Work in batches so the pan stays lively, then move the shrimp to a plate.

4. 4

   Cook the garlic

   Lower the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes, moving it constantly, until it smells sweet and nutty but stays pale gold. Burnt garlic goes bitter fast, and no amount of butter can talk it back.

5. 5

   Make it glossy

   Add the wine or water, lemon juice, and shoyu if using, scraping the browned bits from the pan. Let it bubble for a few seconds until the sauce looks shiny and loose enough to coat a spoon. Taste it now. It should be salty, garlicky, buttery, and bright at the edge.

6. 6

   Toss and plate

   Return the shrimp and any juices to the skillet and toss until every shell shines with garlic butter. Pile over two scoops white rice so the sauce runs down into the grains, tuck mac salad beside it, and finish with lemon wedges and green onion if you like. Eat with your hands first, fork after. That's the North Shore way.

Chef Tips

• •Use a wide pan and cook in batches. Crowded shrimp steam in their own water and turn soft before they brown.
• •Shell-on shrimp gives the real truck-plate feeling. Peeled shrimp works for kids or a weeknight, but the sauce won't cling the same.
• •Shoyu is not old Hawaiian food, it's Hawaiʻi food, and that's the point here. The Local pantry has many hands in it.
• •Serve right away. Garlic shrimp waits badly, but leftover sauce over hot rice the next day is still a small blessing.

Advance Preparation

• •Devein and dry the shrimp up to 8 hours ahead, then keep it covered and cold.
• •Mince the garlic the same day if you can; old chopped garlic gets sharp and tired.
• •Cook the rice before the shrimp hits the pan. The shrimp is quick, and the plate should be ready when the sauce is glossy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 480g)