I’ve got a social media pal who wishes to remain anonymous, but happily allowed me to post up this marvelous fusion poke recipe. And when you feast your eyes on the image below and read the recipe, you’ll know why I was excited to share it.
Poke is of Hawaiian origin. There are various stories of how it came about, but the one that rings truest to me goes something like this – sometime in the 1970s fisherman trimming their catch realized that some very tasty bits of fish were being wasted. OG Poke was made from great tuna, Hawaiian salt, seaweed, and candlenut meat – and that venerable version is very popular to this day.
All that said, poke is a dish that begs for innovation, and what you find below is innovative in the most delicious sense of the word. Take a swing at it, enjoy, and as always, share your work.
My fusion poke tuna recipe (Indonesian, Korean, Hawai’ian, Japanese)
2 sushi grade tuna steaks, about 8oz total, large dice
1/4 cup light soy sauce (Japanese)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons freshly grated young ginger
1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (Indonesian)
1/2 teaspoon sambal oeleck (Indonesian — adds umami, substitute a dash of fish sauce)
1/4 cup sliced green onion tops
Tuna is most easily diced while still partially frozen.
Combine marinade, add tuna, refrigerate an hour (use within a short period of time, never more than 24 hours)
Adjust seasoning to your taste.
Serve with sushi rice and your favorite veggies and toppings
Pickled ginger
Furikake seasoning (or sub kimchi)
Sea grapes – which are seriously yummy
Unagi sauce (eel sauce)
Edamame
Masago roe
Shredded carrots
(Left to prep: mango & cucumber)
UrbanMonique 