We like the fish and tomato cut to a uniform 1/2 inch size in our lomi lomi salmon.
Lomi Lomi Salmon is a luau staple that deserves to be on a lot more mainland tables. It’s a light, refreshing mix of salmon and tomatoes with a hit of onion and salt and can be eaten as a main dish or a salad. We like ours as it was served at the Salvation Army Tea Room in Manoa Valley, with the salmon and tomato chopped into equal size pieces and a minimum of liquid. Serves 6 as an appetizer or 4 as a main dish.
Ingredients:
1 lb salmon fillet
1 lb (maybe a bit more) Roma tomatoes
1 t coarse Hawaiian sea salt or kosher salt, plus a bit more if needed after tasting
1/2 c sweet onion, peeled and chopped
3 green onions, including a lot of the green part, sliced into rings
Use a filleting knife or other sharp knife to remove skin from salmon. Press the knife into the underside of the skin then cut forward to keep the meat intact. Don’t worry about a few ragged pieces; they’ll disappear in the finished product.
Method: if the salmon has skin, peel it off using a sharp knife and save the skin for a crispy treat. Salt the fish on both sides and rub it in (this is the first “lomi” or massage). Refrigerate for 2 days or a bit longer, turning the fish daily and rubbing the skin to distribute the salt.
On serving day, chop the salmon into half-inch cubes. Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out seeds and pulp, then chop tomato into pieces the same size as the salmon. Mix in onion and green onion and toss or work with your hands to combine the flavors (this is the second “lomi”). Refrigerate at least 2 hours then taste before serving and add salt as needed; we used an additional 1/2 t. Serve very cold
