MANTLES
Tuna Poke Bowls
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
Poke
Poke ( pronounced poh-kay , rhymes with okay ) literally means “ to cut crosswise into pieces .” It ’ s a simple dish made of chopped seafood , generally tuna , marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil , and mixed with onion . But , you ’ ll find many variations of this when you visit poke shops and grocery stores around Hawaii . Octopus ( tako ) and mussels are two common options , and spicing it up with wasabi and / or kimchee are also popular variations .
It ’ s believed that poke was first prepared by native Polynesians centuries before Western travelers arrived on the islands . Initially , it was made with raw reef fish , seasoned with sea salt and seaweed , and combined with crushed candlenut . Salting of the fish was for both flavor and more importantly , preserving the fish .
Most historians agree that it wasn ’ t until the 1960 ’ s and ’ 70s , that the name “ poke ” was given to the dish we currently recognize as poke .
INGREDIENTS
• 300 gr tuna steaks , sushi grade , cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 tbsp of light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• 1 / 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1 avocado , cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 spring onions , finely sliced
• 1 bunch of coriander , coarsely chopped , plus extra for serving
FURIKAKE
• 2 sheets of nori seaweed , toasted
• 1 tbsp of black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp of bonito flakes , optional
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of chilli powder
TO ASSEMBLE
• Calrose rice , cooked
• carrots , sliced
• cucumber , sliced
• radishes , sliced
• sugar snap peas
• pickled ginger
METHOD 1 . To make the furikake , grind all of the ingredients to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar
2 . For the tuna poke , combine the soya sauce , sesame oil , lime juice , and ginger in a mixing bowl . Add the tuna , avocado , spring onion and coriander and mix to combine
3 . Divide the mixture between 2 bowls alongside a scoop of brown rice and the raw vegetables . Sprinkle over 2 – 3 teaspoons of furikake seasoning , or to taste , and serve with pickled ginger , soy sauce and wasabi on side
4 . These bowls are best eaten within an hour of making or tuna will change color
16 RECIPE STEELPLUS . COM