In 2014 we took a family trip to Hawaii for Kodi’s mom and her best friend 50th birthday. And that was where I fell in love with poke—end of story. Just Kidding!
Since that trip, poke has been a favourite around here, and one that we don’t make all the time, so we get sick of it (who can get tired of poke?). It can be a healthy lunch or dinner option; it is super versatile, and you can customize it however you like.
What is poke?
The word poke means “chunk” in Hawaiian. Poke is a Hawaiian dish that is diced raw fish traditionally served as an appetizer or a main course. The traditional poke was any raw seafood served with traditional condiments such as sea salt, seaweed, candlenut and limu. Today, poke is generally seafood, but you can also find different protein types in a marinade with strong influences of Japanese, Korean, Filipino and even Portuguese cuisines.
How to make poke.
start with a good quality sushi-grade raw tuna, and I usually get it from F.I.S.H or SPUD.ca when available. I choose and prep my toppings, prepare the rice and make the marinade. We both enjoy spicy food, so we usually add sriracha or chilli paste to our marinade, but you can omit that, and it will still taste great.
What type of toppings do I use?
Anything you want! Seaweed, avocado, jalapenos, onions, mango, pineapple, edamame beans, crab salad, thinly sliced radishes, carrots, cucumber salad. It is really up to you.
Let’s get cooking!
Poke
Equipment
- Knife
- rice cooker
- bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb Sushi-grade ahi tuna cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sriracha or chilli paste
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 small shallot diced
- 1/4 tsp sesame seeds plus more for garnish
- rice
- your choie of toppings
Instructions
- Cube the ahi tuna and put into a bowl, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha ,ginger, garlic and sesame seeds and mix. Let it sit for a few minutes. While the tuna is resting, cook your rice and prep your toppings. When you are ready to serve, put the rice in the bowl, top with the tuna and add your toppings.
Did you make this recipe? Leave me a comment below or tag me in your creations using @cooking_with_zo or #cookingwithzo.
