DIY Home Made Poke Bar

Hawaiian poke is deeply rooted in Japanese cuisine. Poke literally means chunk, chunks or morsels of raw fish. Its marinated or massaged with soy, sauce sesame oil, seaweed, some kukui nuts and a staple on the Hawaiian islands, and now the mainland and beyond.

Earlier in May we did a little work/rest kinda break in Kauai and got to try all kinds of poke bowls, the simplest to fancy ones marinated in interesting ingredients. Serving poke over a bed of rice is classic. Salad greens is excellent for a low carb option or sometimes ½ and ½, for best of both worlds. Seasoned raw fish is standard, seaweed salad is a must, a fruit component is optional, edamame, some raw veggies like cabbage, cucumber are favorites, pickled veggies, kimchi, avocado are popular, topping like roasted sesame seeds, furikake and a host of many sauces to choose from. They include simple sauce soy, wasabi, sriracha, Yuzu and the list goes on and on. However, like all bowl recipes, poke bowls are pretty adaptable—the idea is to have fun with it with all your favorite ingredients.

A word about the Fish

Sushi and sashimi fish used in Poke bowls is raw and must be handled with utmost care and safely. Consuming raw fish thats not handled properly may have you end up in ER. Keep the fish very cold, when I need to buy fish I carry a freezer bag and request the fishmonger for a bag of ice to pack. They are normally very accommodating and have large buckets of ice for this purpose in the back of the store. Next use very clean utensils and cutting board. Take the fish out right before preparing, don’t leave it on the counter to bring to room temperature and promptly put it back.

Sushi-grade or sashimi-grade are not regulated, labels can indicate quality but not always the case. Make sure the vendor is reputable and has fast moving inventory. Normally sashimi grade fish is expensive, so if its on sale or at knock down prices I would be a bit suspicious. Sushi or sashimi grade fish needs high maintenance that comes at price which is reflected in the retail price. Im lucky to have a popular Japanese market, Mitsuwa close to my home to source fresh fish for sashimi and sushi. So I know its fresh. Buy from a trusted fishmonger, Asian supermarkets are always a good resource for raw sushi grade fish and most cities have specialty stores.

Hawaiian Poke Makes 4 bowls

• 14-16 ounces sashimi/sushi grade ahi tuna, cut into one inch cubes
• 14-16 ounces sashimi/sushi grade salmon, cut into one inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons lo sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3-4 scallions thinly sliced, white and bottom green parts
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Seasoned Rice

• ½-1 cup sushi or short grain rice, brown or white rinsed until water runs clear
• ½ cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar if unseasoned
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• water as needed based on the package instructions

Pickled Cucumber and Cabbage

• 3 Persian cucumbers, diced into ½ inch pieces
• ¼ medium red cabbage, thinly shredded
• ¼ cup rice vinegar if you prefer sharper brine choose plain white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon each sea salt
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Wasabi Sauce

• ¼ cup Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Wasabi paste
• 2 tablespoon Yuzu juice or Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Pinch of sugar

Sriracha Sauce

• ¼ cup Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoon Yuzu juice or Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Add Ons

• Japanese pickled ginger, also called gari
• Furikake or shredded seaweed
• roasted sesame seeds
• Macadamia nuts, optional
• Avocado, diced
• pickled cabbage
• edamame, one cup
• 1 cup fresh Pineapple or Mango, diced, optional
• 1 cup Seaweed salad, store-bought, optional

Here’s How

1. Make the Grains: In a fine mesh sieve/strainer, rinse the quinoa and rice. Cook according to the package instructions. Once the grains are cooked sprinkle the vinegar, sugar and sesame oil. Using a flat spoon or rice paddle mix the rice with the seasoning well. Set aside.
2. Make the Poke: In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, green onions, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, rice vinegar and ginger juice from jar of pickled ginger. Add the tuna and salmon separately and keep them in separate bowls.Toss to coat. Set aside. Don’t leave in the marinade for more than 30 minutes.
3. Make the Pickled cucumber and Cabbage: In a small bowl, first toss cucumber and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes. Transfer it out of the marinade into a bowl. Now add there red cabbage in the same marinade and allow it to marinade for 15 minutes. Toss and gently massage so it coats evenly and softens. Remove from the marinade.
4. When the rice is done cooking, fluff it up and let it cool for 20 minutes.
5. Make the sauces by mixing everything together in a small bowl separately.
6. To Assemble: Divide the grain into bowls. Neatly arrange the fish, pickled veggies and all the toppings you like. Drizzle the sauce and serve right away.