The Hawaiian word for the kinds of appetizers that make great finger food at a tropical luau is "pupu." While the word itself might not sound too appetizing, Hawaiian-style finger food is sure to please party guests. From traditional poi to fruit, seafood, ribs and chicken wings, dining luau style is a tasty experience. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Poi
For an authentically Hawaiian luau, why not serve the original finger food. This cultural appetizer is eaten with the fingers and is defined by its thickness. The thickest poi is considered one-finger poi while two-finger and three-finger poi is successively thinner. Poi is basically pounded, cooked and seasoned taro root and it's not for everyone. But such an authentic dish can certainly be a conversation starter.
Seafood
Fry shrimp in coconut oil, shredded coconut, red chili paste and sugar for a tasty coconut shrimp appetizer. Turn flaked crab meat into delicious crab cakes for a yummy seafood hors d'oeuvre. Combine the crab meat with bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, diced green onions and red bell peppers along with spices such as dry mustard, onion powder and parsley. Form into small patties and coat with bread crumbs before frying.
Poultry
Give chicken wings a tropical touch by marinating them in a sauce made with pureed green chillies, lemon juice, raisins, brown sugar, onions, apricot preserves, garlic and banana. Grilled chicken tenders are another tasty tropical treat. Create a marinade from Italian dressing, honey and lime juice. Marinade the tenders for an hour and grill until they are golden brown.
Fruit
Fruit is a great finger food and can also be used to create a beautiful tropical display. Large trays that are heaped with grapes, chopped pineapple, bananas, melon slices and apple wedges are an appetizing sight. Fruit kabobs are simple to make and offer a colorful and impressive presentation. Alternate your favorite fruits on skewers or provide empty skewers and allow guests to make their own kabob.
Pork
Baby back ribs are delicious and are small enough to be served as finger food. A sauce made with soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, catchup, vinegar and peach baby food makes for a tasty and luau-appropriate marinade. These ribs can be grilled or baked in a conventional oven. And what luau would be complete without a few bacon-wrapped appetizers? Broil bacon-wrapped scallops and serve with toothpick skewers for a tasty combination of flavors.
Sweets
For dessert, serve up macadamia bread or Hawaiian cookies. Macadamia bread is made from a standard sweet bread recipe with crushed pineapple, flaked coconut and macadamia nuts added. Hawaiian cookies are a cream cheese-based recipe that includes chopped nuts, maraschino cherries and crushed pineapple.
Tags: finger food, bread crumbs, brown sugar, chicken wings, crab meat, crushed pineapple, great finger