Miscellaneous: Fin a Deni

posted by DerekRey 11-20-101 10:48 AM

Fin a Deni(pronounced [fee-nah-deh-nee])

This is a traditional sauce used on meats and rice on the island of Saipan and also Guam, Tinian and Rota. It's used on meats, great on sashimi, good on rice, but it's best for sure on grilled meats.

1 cup (kikkoman or yamasa) Soy sauce
1 cup water
juice of a large lemon or lime (or small lemon AND lime)
a large sweet variety onion (mayan or vidalia is my fav)
another small sweet variety onion for addition AT
hot peppers of your choice (traditional but optional), the chamorros of the islands use a pepper called "don-ni." It's a very very small red pepper, about a half-inch long, I don't know if there is an english name for it, it may be only found in the islands (pros can clarify if they know please) but here, I use what I can get, usually a habanero.


In a container that can hold all the ingredients combine the soy sauce and half of the water, keeping the rest for taste later. Juice the lemon and add the juice and the juiced out lemon to the mixture (peel and all, just throw it in). Dice or chunk the onion and add it as well.

Grill the pepper(s) (amount is of your own choosing), just run them over a burner on the stove until they are blackened a bit. Dice and add to the mixture.

At serving, freshly dice a small sweet onion and add it to the mixture, literally right at serving, the freshness is what makes it a treat.

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