If you’ve read my post on Tuna Poke, you know how I feel about Hawaiian food. Here’s another island classic that’s traditionally served at luaus as a side dish, alongside kalua pig. It goes great with roast meats, or even other seafood dishes packing a bunch of flavour with each refreshing bite.
If lomi lomi makes you think of spas, it’s because “lomi” is the Hawaiian word for masseuse and is used in spas to describe a Hawaiian massage. The dish gets it’s name from the way the ingredients are massaged, breaking them up and helping all the flavours meld together. You could of course mix it with a spoon, but it won’t look the same, nor would it be nearly as fun to make:-)
Traditionally the fresh salmon is rubbed with Alaea salt and left overnight to cure, but for the sake of convenience, I’ve cheated and used gravlax from the grocery store. Since you want the sweetest ripest tomatoes and it’s the middle of winter here in NYC, I used cherry tomatoes in the photo above, but nothing beets a sweet, juicy, vine ripened tomato.
Update: It’s worth noting that this is not a traditional lomi as pointed out by Holly in the comments. You’re supposed to use Maui sweet onions and green onions. We don’t get Maui onions here and I like the color from the purple onions so I made that substitution, and chives were what I had on hand so I subbed them in for green onions. As for the citrus, it’s a matter of personal preference, but if you want to go for the real deal, skip the citrus.
1 C ripe tomatoes peeled and cut into 1/4″ dice
1 serrano chili pepper finely minced
1/4 C red onion finely minced
4 oz roughly chopped salted salmon (gravlax will work as well)
Squeeze of lemon or lime
2 Tbs chopped chives
Add everything except the chives in a bowl and work together with your fingers, breaking up the chunks of salmon as you go. There should be enough salt from the salmon, but add more if it needs it.
Add the chopped chives and mix in. Allow it to rest for at least an hour and serve.
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{ 17 comments }
Looks so easy and good. And you’re right… this brightens up a gloomy day!
Looks like a pico de gallo salsa. Do you eat it as a topping or as a salad?
It’s a bit like pico de gallo except for the salmon. It’s really more like a condiment than a salad and I had it with roast pork.
What a great idea! I make the the salsa all the time, never thought to add salmon to it.
It looks really nice but, not traditional. Traditional Lomi has white onion and green onion no chili or citrus, the salmon is not texture wise the same as gravlox. It is more like salmon that has been smoked hot, but it has no smoke flavor. It comes in a block that you crumble. Lomi Lomi Salmon is not a native Hawaiian dish since we don’t have salmon in Hawaii. The salmon was probably imported by ship and thus needed to be preserved. I like it best served with Kalua Pork and mixed into my poi. It is treated like a condiment. You can add heat by sprinkling it with chili pepper water. This is making me hungry. I might have to hit Helena’s Hawaiian Food for lunch.
What a great idea to mix the gravlax through the salsa…this screams fresh!
Wow, the more you learn. I’d serve this on top of sprigs of endive or some shiso leaves. A friend just emailed saying that she bought a 10 lb piece of pork and don’t know what to do with it. Perhaps I can convince her to make some kalua pork…
Great idea. It’s hard to get the authentic kalua pig flavour without an imu and banana leaves, but check out my new post on pandan wrapped roast pork.
love the colours on this. it looks quite summery, and i’m thinking eating this cold in a sandwich?? x
very nice recipe, im tempted to make this at home!
Wow – thanks for this! I love lomi lomi salmon and Hawaiian food in general. I brought home four bags of Alaea salt from Hawaii – it’s sold in regular grocery stores (not gourmet stores) because it’s such an important local food ingredient. Thank you for the recipe!
I’ve never had this before but sounds really good! Love the colours too.
I think this looks lovely, and something that The Beloved would really enjoy. Traditional or not, you’re not in Hawaii, and I think your take on this evokes the spirit, if not the letter, of the lomi lomi law:)
Lovely – yet more new flavours from around the globe
I would love this on a bagel on Sunday a.m.
Hold the cream cheese please.
This looks delicious – sounds easy to make. Nice flavours.
you just made my mouth water with these words:
sweet, juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes.
oh how i can not wait until they are available…
lomi lomi has been something i’ve wanted to make for awhile. i think people forget that hawaii really has so much personality and flavors and has a very distinct cuisine. i think yours looks fabulous and uber-healthy. did i mention colorful?
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