AI-generated image
Ahi poke
Hawaiian shoyu tuna poke, seared safer version
Poke, from the Hawaiian word for cut into pieces, began as fishermen's snack of raw reef fish with sea salt, seaweed and roasted kukui nut, and is now sold by the pound from the deli counters of every Hawaiian supermarket, eaten over rice as a quick lunch or with drinks after work. This shoyu ahi style dresses cubes of yellowfin tuna in soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet onion and chilli. Traditional poke is raw fish, which is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system, so this version quickly sears the cubes until cooked through. Chef's tip: dress the tuna just before eating; the soy sauce draws out moisture and turns it soft if it sits for hours.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb very fresh yellowfin tuna steakin 2 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ sweet onionthinly sliced
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp dried seaweed (ogo or nori) (optional)crumbled
- 1 ⅓ lb steamed short-grain riceto serve
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pat the 1 ⅛ lb very fresh yellowfin tuna steak dry. Heat the 1 tbsp neutral oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until shimmering.
3 minStep 2: Sear the cubes in one layer for 2–3 minutes, turning, until opaque all the way through when you cut a cube open. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which stews the fish grey and watery.
4 minStep 3: Spread on a plate and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Mix the 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ sweet onion, 3 spring onions, ½ tsp chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, then fold in the tuna and 1 tbsp dried seaweed (ogo or nori).
2 minStep 5: Serve at once over the 1 ⅓ lb steamed short-grain rice. Keep any leftovers in the fridge and eat within a day.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ahi poke take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of toasted sesame oil?
- Toasted sesame seeds ground with a little vegetable oil.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter
Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.
Australian
All i pebreEel and potato paprika stew
In El Palmar and the other villages around the Albufera lagoon south of Valencia, the restaurants that are famous for paella serve something older first: all i pebre, "garlic and pepper", a brick-red stew of lagoon eel and potatoes thickened with a pounded almond and fried-bread picada. It is rich, garlicky and gently hot, eaten with bread to mop up the sauce. Ask your fishmonger to skin and cut the eel, and handle it with gloves: raw eel blood is irritating, though harmless once cooked. If you can't find eel, monkfish or hake works well. A common mistake is letting the paprika burn; it turns bitter in seconds, so add it off the heat. Chef's tip: break the potatoes with a knife instead of cutting cleanly; the rough edges release starch and thicken the sauce.
Spanish
Midia saganakiMussels with tomato and feta
Thessaloniki is Greece's mussel capital, with farms in the Thermaic Gulf a few kilometres from the seafront ouzeries where this two-handled pan arrives, still bubbling, at the table. Mussels steam open in a quick sauce of peppers, tomato and chilli, and crumbled feta melts into the juices at the end. Bread is essential. The classic version adds a splash of ouzo; this one is alcohol-free, using a pinch of fennel seed for that aniseed note (add 2 tbsp ouzo with the tomatoes if you like). Common mistake: overcooking — take the pan off the heat as soon as the shells open. Chef's tip: buy mussels on the day and keep them in the fridge in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, never in water.
Greek