Tahitian Mermaid from the Kahiki...

Hi, new member here. I have the recipe for the Tahitian Mermaid, from the Kahiki. It was from on old Columbus Dispatch article.

2 6-ounce beef filets

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Filling

3 1/2 ounces crabmeat

3 1/2 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/16 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped onion

Combine the Filling ingredients. Set aside.

Butterfly the filets of beef (they will look like an open shell.) Season with 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Pan-fry the inner part of the steaks over high heat for 30 seconds. Stuff half of the filling into each steak and slightly close it. Pan-fry each side of the steaks on high heat for 1 minute.
Mickey Cheung, chef at the former Kahiki restaurant, provided the Ohio Department of Agriculture with this recipe for our 1998 Ohio's Heartland Cuisine cookbook. The 1/16 tablespoon lemon juice is an odd measurement, but that's what the recipe says. I have not tried this, but I understand that Mickey got rave reviews at the Ohio State Fair.

[ Edited by: ChefMike on 2004-06-03 06:59 ]

I'm thinking of swapping a nice tuna steak fo the beef. But that'a just me.

On 2004-06-03 06:58, ChefMike wrote:
Hi, new member here. I have the recipe for the Tahitian Mermaid, from the Kahiki. It was from on old Columbus Dispatch article.

2 6-ounce beef filets

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Filling

3 1/2 ounces crabmeat

3 1/2 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/16 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped onion

Combine the Filling ingredients. Set aside.

Butterfly the filets of beef (they will look like an open shell.) Season with 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Pan-fry the inner part of the steaks over high heat for 30 seconds. Stuff half of the filling into each steak and slightly close it. Pan-fry each side of the steaks on high heat for 1 minute.
Mickey Cheung, chef at the former Kahiki restaurant, provided the Ohio Department of Agriculture with this recipe for our 1998 Ohio's Heartland Cuisine cookbook. The 1/16 tablespoon lemon juice is an odd measurement, but that's what the recipe says. I have not tried this, but I understand that Mickey got rave reviews at the Ohio State Fair.

[ Edited by: ChefMike on 2004-06-03 06:59 ]

Thanks for posting! This was my favorite dish at the Kahiki and the Tropical Bistro. When attempting to make this I found the following:

1/2 cup of fine bread crumbs was too many...course ones were much better.

I used low fat cream-cheese, and that didn't work...definately need the full fat for flavor.

Still experimenting with what kind of crab to use...I have yet to make a version that is exactly what I remember.

Thanks again for posting one of my favorite dishes!

..seems you have 2 choices.....real crab meat...or fake crabmeat.......i doubt kahiki used real crabmeat, though the recipe would probably taste better with real...odds are they used the fake stuff so if you want to relive your experience..go with the fake crabmeat.....

..don't get me wrong, ...the tahitian mermaid was my absolute favorite dish at kahiki.....thanks again to chef mike for posting this.....

as for me, i'm gonna load mine with some fresh real alaskan king crab meat!!!

" measuring destroys art!!"

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-08-13 17:51 ]

You think they could use fake crab and advertise that it was a crab stuffing? Fake crab is nasty, and the Mermaid was delicious. You're right....King crab would be the best in terms of taste, but its SOOO expensive.

I bought some canned crab meat from the claw at the grocery store this evening...on sale fro $5 for 8oz I'm going to give it a whirl this weekend...maybe saute the crab slowly in butter to bring out more of its flavor. Yea, more calories I know...but in the words of Julia Child who lived to be 91 ...."I don't care about nutrition...I care about taste!"

sounds good!! i'm hungry already and it's 7 a.m. !!!......the tahitian mermaid is probably the most unhealthy thing you can eat in terms of calories and cholesterol...but damn, it's good!!

i agree...let's eat it anyway!!

We got the closest results from snow crab. The original was probably canned; I prefer fresh.

Good luck!

I'm so glad people are trying to make this..I saw the snow crab legs in the grocery store for a decent price...I'll give that a try too....I'm not stopping until I get this thing perfect.Hmmm...and probably start back to the gym and have my cholesterol checked while I'm at it....

Anyone have any other authentic receipes from Kahiki/Tropical Bistro? I'm becoming mildly obsessed with recreating the menu now and making my own "Unauthorized Kahiki Cookbook".

I'm going to start expermenting with the Mahi Mahi next.I last had it right before Tropical Bistro closed. It was very buttery, had almonds imbedded in the flesh. I don't ever remember seeing sear marks on it from a broiler or grill. Maybe it was baked in buttery liquid....or braised....

To be continued.....