Ahi Tuna Poke

This Ahi Tuna Poke is so easy to make and is ready in 15 minutes. The flavors are irresistible, and the dish is so light and refreshing. 

Poke (pronounced poh-keh) is a Hawaiian dish typically made with raw fish marinated in sesame oil and soy sauce, tossed with sweet onion and sea salt, and seasoned with sesame seeds and other flavors.

This month the Fish Friday Foodies theme, chosen by Culinary Adventures with Camilla, is "Let's Go Raw!" If you don't count the Halibut Ceviche I posted one year ago (the fish in ceviche actually "cooks" in the citrus juices), this is the first time I've ever prepared a raw fish dish.

Along with the the tuna and sweet onion, this recipe calls for two types of dried seaweed, wakame and hijiki. Both are pretty common in Japanese markets, as well as Amazon. You reconstitute the seaweed in boiling water before adding it to the salad.

I know you're probably looking at the onion and going "no way," but the sweet onion has a very mellow flavor, especially after a brief marinade in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Those tiny wormy looking things? Don't freak out. That's the hijiki.

Be sure to get really fresh, "sashimi grade" tuna for this dish. I found these two pieces of gorgeous ahi tuna at my favorite fish market for my first raw fish dish. Incredible, right?

I also love using it for grilled tuna. 

This Ahi Tuna Poke is wonderful on its own as a salad or appetizer. You can also serve it over steamed rice as a light meal. You will love the fusion of Hawaiian and Japanese flavors, and you'll see that poke prepared at home is easy, fresh, and delicious.

Intrigued by raw fish recipes? After the recipe, check out the rest of the dishes by the #FishFridayFoodies.

Ahi Tuna Poke Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons dried wakame
• 1 teaspoon dried hijiki
• 12 ounces raw sashimi grade ahi tuna, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 ounces sweet onion (Maui or Vidalia are good here), diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 5 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Crushed red pepper to taste
• Kosher or coarse sea salt (preferably Hawaiian) to taste

Instructions

1. Add the wakame and hijiki in two small bowls and pour in enough boiling water into each bowl, just to cover. Let rehydrated for about five minutes. Drain the seaweed and dry with paper towels. Chop the wakame.
2. In a large bowl, add the rehydrated seaweed, tuna, onion, scallions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and crushed red pepper. Add salt and gently mix the ingredients. Adjust the flavors by adding more soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper, and/or salt. Let sit at room temperature for about five minutes before serving.

This ahi tuna poke is best served fresh the day it is made, but you can keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. 

Yield: 4 to 6 salads, 2 to 3 main courses
Tags: ahi tuna, poke, poke salad, Hawaiian
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats. 

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