Sheldon Simeon's creamy-salty-tangy dips—anytime, pantry-friendly pupus from his cookbook Cook Real Hawai‘i—are so simple and joyful, I had to give you two of them. The other is his Kim Chee Dip. Make one, make both, repeat.
As Sheldon writes in Cook Real Hawai‘i, “Mayo and shoyu. Shoyu and mayo. There is no kitchen in Hawai‘i lacking these essentials, the building blocks of teriyaki and mac salad. I buy them in the gallon jugs they sell at Costco, if only because when raising four kids you can never really have too much.
“It’s not surprising that at some point a clever pupu connoisseur figured out that when you mix the right about of shoyu with the night amount of mayo, you end up with a tasty dip that grooves beautifully with many things, sort of like a homegrown spin on veggies and ranch dressing. At the Simeon house, we didn’t even know what ranch was when we were little!
“In the hierarchy of pupus, this is the most basic and elemental, but that’s the appeal. My version is fancied up from what my uncles and aunties snacked on watching Lakers games in our garage, but the salty-savory base is there, amplified with nutty sesame seeds and bright lemon zest. As for veggies, use whatever is in season and be creative. Shoyu mayo goes with everything.”
Of the lemon oil, he writes, “During an insane period in my life when I was working double shifts at two restaurants, I cooked at an Italian place on Maui called Vino’s. It was there that I was introduced to Agrumato brand lemon olive oil, which is made by pressing lemon zest with olives so the citrus flavor infuses into the oil. The first time I tasted it, my mind was blown—I was amazed you could add both brightness and richness to a dish at the same time.
“Since then, lemon olive oil has always been in my pantry—I even brought a bottle with me during both seasons of Top Chef. Though it’s worthwhile to pick up a bottle for $25 at a gourmet food store or online, you can also easily make lemon olive oil yourself using fresh peels. I’ll use the stuff anywhere I would use regular olive oil—in dressings, in sauces, or for a quick drizzle to finish a dish just before serving. Can’t go wrong.”
A few more tips: If your sesame seeds aren’t already roasted, you can toast the seeds in the skillet first, stirring often, until they start to turn golden, before adding the sugar and salt. When making the lemon olive oil, definitely don’t let it bubble—it will kill the lemon fragrance and make the oil cloudy. The lemon oil recipe will make more than you need for this recipe, but you’ll be very happy to have it around.
Recipe adapted very slightly from Cook Real Hawai‘i (Clarkson Potter, March 2021).
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Hear more about this recipe from Sheldon himself on our podcast The Genius Recipe Tapes. —Genius Recipes
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