Ahi Tuna Poke
Ahi Tuna Poke is a simple, fresh, Hawaiian seafood salad lightly dressed in a soy based sauce. We’ve been making this recipe for over a decade. We occasionally vary it with the addition of other types of fish, the base is always the same. This slightly salty, a little spicy, light but protein rich salad is great over sticky rice and maybe a little seaweed salad. It’s great with ahi tuna alone, or combine with yellowfin tuna, salmon, octopus, or any type of sushi grade seafood. No matter what we choose to serve alongside, it’s simply delicious.
I was introduced to Poke when Mike and I honeymooned in Kona, Hawaii. We adventured around the island each day and every evening ended up at the hotel bar with a bowl of Poke and rice. As fresh as can be, perfect snack or dinner after a day in the water or hiking in Pele’s playground. Cap it off with a Mai Tai, watch the sunset over the Pacific, and a salty breeze for my idea of paradise.
Back in reality, we decided to try and duplicate the Ahi Tuna Poke we had enjoyed in Kona. We had a wonderful Japanese market close to our home in Sacramento. They carry incomparable seafood and all the Asian ingredients you can imagine. So, we would pick up some Ahi, Big Eye, or Yellowfin tuna, maybe some Salmon, and prepare for a sushi grade feast. If you prefer, this can also be a starter dish before a cooked fish entrée or along with sashimi. Pair it with chilled dry sake or Pinot Grigio.
Since we’ve been in Montana, we haven’t had as much access to fresh sushi grade fish. But, it can be found, thank goodness for Costco! We don’t have as many options for sake but we’ll keep looking.
Ahi Tuna Poke
Ingredients
- 2 lb Ahi Tuna sushi grade
- ½ cup soy sauce, regular sodium
- ½ cup soy sauce, low sodium
- ¾ cup green onions, sliced thin
- 1 cup white or yellow onion, diced
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes optional, reduce for less spice
- 8 oz Nori (dried seaweed), sliced or crushed optional
- 1 tsp wasabi powder optional, reduce for less spice
Instructions
- Cube tuna into ½" pieces.
- In a medium size glass bowl, combine onions, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, Nori, and wasabi powder and mix well.
- Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until they start to brown and become fragrant. Add to marinade.
- Add tuna to the marinade, cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours
