I have been making poke for years and years. I started making it to bring to Thanksgiving as an appetizer… No one wants to eat beige food all day! Or at least I do not want to, so why not bring some raw fish!?!?!
I am very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Hawaii for work and fun with family over the years. During these trips, I fell in love with Poke and all the different varieties. Da Poke Shack in Kona and Hanalei Poke in Hanalei Bay, to name a few, are my absolute favorites. I cannot miss going to them when I am on the Islands.
My version is similar to Poke in Hawaii but has a lot of San Diego influence as well, with some south-of-the-border ingredients.
Recipe Supplies:
- Ahi Tuna Steak (Mine was about .6 lbs)
- Red Onion (1/4 cup)
- Green Onion (1/4 cup)
- Cilantro (1/2-1/3 Bushel no stems)
- Jalapeno (1/2)
- Small Avocado (1)
- Dried and Crushed Seaweed (couple pinches)
- Macadamea Nuts (4-6 toasted and chopped)
- Sesame Seed Oil (2 teaspoons)
- Soy Sauce (1/4 cup)
- Hoisin (2 tablespoons)
- Wasabi paste (to taste)
Before you get started, pat dry your tuna steak with paper towels and wrap it in dry ones. Then, put it in the freezer to chill while you chop everything else. This will make the tuna much easier to cut into small squares.
Veggies:
Finely dice the red onion and jalapeno, I hate when you get a huge bite of either one of these in poke… it completely overpowers all the other flavors. Then, chop the green onion and cilantro. Finally, cut your avocado into small cubes. You can put all of these ingredients into the same bowl and set aside. Make sure that this bowl will be big enough to mix in your fish and sauce later.
Sauce:
Get a small bowl and whisk the sesame seed oil, soy sauce, hoisin, and wasabi paste together. You want to make sure that the paste has dissolved into the sauce. Otherwise, you will have grainy wasabi paste chunks in your poke, and no one wants that. Give the sauce a taste and see if you want to add a little more heat or salt, if you do, add more wasabi (heat) and or soy sauce (salt).
Set your sauce aside.
Nuts and Seaweed:
Toast your macadamia nuts in a small non-stick skillet for a few minutes on medium heat. Shake the pan a few times to toast multiple sides. When they start to turn color you can remove them. Just make sure not to burn them.
Depending on the dried seaweed you get, you might need to chop it into smaller pieces. I typically crush it between my fingers when I sprinkle it into the mixture. Like the onion and jalapeno, I do not want large hunks of seaweed in my poke.
Tuna Steak:
Remove your fish from the freeze. Get the sharpest knife that you have and sharpen or hone it if necessary. Then, cut your fish into small, evenly-sized squares. Discard any fibrous white tissue you may find on the steak when cutting it.
Combining Everything:
Now, you can add your tuna, nuts, and seaweed to the bowl of veggies. Mix your sauce one last time, and then add it to the veggie bowl as well. Stir everything together thoroughly so that all of the fish and veggies are coated in sauce. Give it a taste and serve it with rice, chips, or by itself!
* If, for some reason, it seems a little dry, you can always splash a bit more soy and/or sesame on it. Use your discretion.
