If you’ve ever been to Kauai before you know that one of the first things you’ll notice after stepping on the island are the wild chickens randomly roaming about.
The first time you see a wild chicken in Kauai, you think that there must be some farm or ranch around the corner that accidentally let some chickens out. The chickens wander freely all over the island–you’ll see them at the McDonald’s drive thru, at the rental car station, and waiting by the shave ice huts…everywhere! These chickens are one of the reasons that the locals remind you to “Drive with Aloha.”
You’ll also commonly see these colorful chickens crossing many of Kauai’s 2 lane roads, taking their sweet time. Apparently, the wild chickens, also called moa, are the descendents of the ancient Polynesians, and have been around for hundreds of years. The feral chickens have no natural predators, and are considered to be both a treasure and a nuisance, not necessarily in that order. By observing them, it becomes very clear that they are the inhabitants and we are the visitors. For me, the chickens definitely add to the charm of vacationing in a small, peaceful island like Kauai.
The wild chickens in Kauai are very lucky as they probably won’t ever make it into a sandwich of any kind, much less my Japanese Curry Egg Salad Sandwiches. I put this recipe together shortly after posting my decorated Kokeshi Doll Eggs for Easter, as I was excited for my trip and wanted to make an egg salad recipe that truly tasted like something you would enjoy in the islands.
This recipe good way to use up the last of those extra eggs you bought for your Easter festivities but never got around to decorating. Consider it a straight forward, simple egg salad recipe that been infused with easy-to-find Hawaiian and Japanese flavors. These are really tasty when served on Hawaiian bread, either the sliced kind or the rolls. They are perfect with a cup of rich, sweet Japanese tea like Houjicha, a roasted green tea.
Today I’d like to leave you with a picture of the luckiest chicken alive. I found this hen perched atop the hill overlooking Hanalei Valley, a field filled with taro farms and an old rice mill. No predators, a ton of bugs to eat, lots of sunshine, and a view like this…not a bad life for a crazy little chicken!
Japanese Curry Egg Salad
Makes 2 sandwiches.
Ingredients:
3 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
2 Tbsp Kewpie Mayonnaise
3/4 tsp Japanese curry powder
squirt of Sriracha
1 green onion, thinly sliced, green part only
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
dash white pepper
salt to taste
Hawaiian sweet bread
handful of salad greens
tomatoes for garnish
Equipment:
small mixing bowl
Directions:
1.) Mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and layer on toasted Hawaiian sweet bread with salad greens. Garnish with sliced mini tomatoes and enjoy!
Thirsty for Tea 