Do The Hoke Poke.

 

Do The Hoke Poke

Ahhhh…  Ahi.

And tuna poke bowls. 

 A poke bowl is a traditional Hawaiian dish that traces its roots back to the earliest Polynesian settlers.  Originally, poke consisted of freshly caught reef fish which were cut into cubes and seasoned with simple, available ingredients – sea salt, seaweed, algae, and Hawaiian kukui, or candlenuts.  The word “poke” means “to slice” or “to cut,” referring to the preparation of the fish.  As fishing became more advanced in the Pacific and the fleets ventured into deep waters, the predominant fish used for poke became tuna.

 

At its simplest, a poke bowl is a raw tuna salad.  But from that humble beginning, poke bowls have evolved.  With Japanese and other outside influences converging, popular poke bowl ingredients have expanded, with each cultural group bringing its own culinary traditions with them and incorporating their own ingredients to the classic dish.  A tuna poke bowl is ultimately an extremely adaptable and customizable dish and one in which the ingredients can be tailored to the consumers’ preferences.  It’s an infinitely variable dish, embodying the essence of fusion cuisine, combining both traditional Hawaiian flavors and more modern ingredients.  And that’s the beauty of the poke bowl.  There are countless versions of the poke bowl and one can accessorize the tuna however one wants.

 

 My inspiration for this dish came from serving seared tuna fillets to a bunch of people, each of whom liked their tuna cooked to a different degree – from rare to medium rare to medium to “well-done” (which I think is a misnomer in and of itself, but I digress).  In the process, I ended  up with leftover tuna in diverse stages of cookedness.  What does one do with all this tuna of varying doneness?  One makes hoke poke tuna.

 

Rosie’s Hoke Poke

1 lb tuna fillets, seared to any degree of doneness, diced

1 TB chopped red onion

1 small radish, minced

1 TB yellow, red, or orange pepper, minced

1 TB jalapeño, minced

2 TB cucumber, small dice

2 green onions, sliced

1 – 2 TB toasted sesame seeds

½ - 1 tsp pickled ginger, minced (optional)

 

Combine all ingredients.  The ginger is a strong flavor additive, so you might want to omit that at first.  Give the poke a taste test after mixing with the sauce and then decide whether to add the ginger and how much you want.

 

 

Poke sauce

 4 TB Tamari sauce

1 TB honey

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ tsp sesame oil (optional)

Mix ingredients well, then pour over tuna mixture.  Toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to develop and meld.

 Plate hoke poke with a mound of basmati or jasmine rice and fried wontons.  I like to sprinkle sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds over top.

 

 This is my basic hoke poke mélange, but as I said, you can certainly customize it according to your own tastes and predilections.  When you’re choosing what to add, pick from three different categories – aromatics, texture enhancers, and sauces.  For aromatics, consider shallots, garlic (raw or pickled), lemongrass, assorted chilies, peppercorns, microgreens and sprouts, and herbs, such as mint, chives, basil, parsley, and cilantro.  For texture enhancers, go with cucumbers, avocado, watermelon, papaya, mango, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, roasted chickpeas, wasabi peas, and edamame.  For sauces, consider adding something sweet to the basic soy/tamari and sesame combo, like agave nectar.  You also might want to try sriracha sauce, Chinese-style sweet chili and garlic sauce, ponzu sauce which is citrus based, or some flavorful extra virgin olive oils.  Be creative and inventive and let your poke shine!

 

Enjoy.

 

 For the step-by-steps:

Sear the tuna. 

 

Before I sear my tuna, I stir together some brown sugar and tamari sauce and let the tuna steaks sit in that mixture while my cast iron skillet, with a film of oil in it, heats up.  I like it around 400° to 425°.

I like the hint of sweetness the brown sugar brings, plus it helps the outside caramelize, and then you have that nice glaze you can pour over your fillets.

For rare, about 60-90 seconds each side.  Depends on how thick your steaks are.

However, I'm cooking for people whose tastes vary from rare to medium to done (overcooked to me), so all bets are off here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let the tuna rest a few minutes before cutting into cubes. 

While the tuna is resting, prepare the textural components of your dish.

 I have sliced green onions, red and orange peppers, red onions, radish, cucumber, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds.

Prepare the sauce:

tamari sauce

honey

minced garlic

a little sesame oil, if desired (Go easily.  A little goes a long way.) 

 

 

I like to serve the poke with a mound of jasmine or basmati rice and some fried wontons.

Top the poke with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. 

Red pepper.  Yellow pepper.  Red onion.  Jalapeño. Radish.  Garlic.  Pickled ginger.  Green onion.

Plate with a mound of rice with cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, and sliced green onions.

Fried wonton strips. 

Avocado slices doused with lime juice, sprinkled with chopped red onions.

Mighty fine!