Poke is diced raw fish served eaten as an appetizer or a main course. Poke means “chunk” in Hawaiian. The traditional Hawaiian poke was served with sea salt, seaweed, and candlenut.

Tuna poke is easy to make. Fish and umami flavors of soy sauce and seaweed are a match made in heaven. Roe and seaweed add another layer of flavor and texture. You can have fun and make a beautiful presentation or play around with ingredients. I played with this recipe for a couple of years. Serve with seaweed salad, edamame from the frozen foods section, and sushi take out rice from a Japanese restaurant to make this a quick complete meal. The trick may be to get some of the ingredients. Big stores probably have them all but if they don’t there are Amazon links at the bottom of the recipe.

I call it seaweed because that’s traditionally what it has been called but people are now calling it sea vegetables which is what they really are. Not only are they delicious but they are very high in vitamins and minerals.

Caught using trolling lines off the coast of northern California, albacore tuna is a Seafood Watch “Best Choice.”

EQUIPMENT: wooden cutting board, chef’s knife, microplane

Authentic Tuna Hawaiian Poke

Recipe by Anna Stockel Cuisine: Hawaiian, JapaneseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Fish and umami flavors of soy sauce and seaweed are a match made in heaven. Roe and seaweed add another layer of flavor and texture. You can have fun and make a beautiful presentation or play around with ingredients.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon good quality soy or tamari sauce

• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

• a few dashes of good quality fish sauce, such as Red Boat

• 3/4 inch peeled ginger, grated with a microplane

• 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup limu (Gracilaria) or other foraged seaweed, reconstituted dried Wakame, or Sea Tangle Noodle Co. Mixed Sea Vegetables (my first choice if I don’t have forged seaweed); don’t use the fluorescent stuff; cut into 1/4″ lengths

• 1/4 cup salmon, capelin, or lumpfish roe (caviar)

• 1/2 lb raw tuna (bigeye, yellowfin, or albacore; NOT bluefin), cut into bite-sized cubes

• Katsuo Fumi Furikake seasoning

• 2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions

• Place a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir until they are lightly brown and aromatic.
• Whisk the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
• Add the next 5 ingredients and stir thoroughly.
• Add the fish and gently toss.
• Top with Furikake seasoning and scallions.
• Serve with seaweed salad, edamame in the shell and sushi rice.

Notes