Poke on Sunday Brunch

Poke (rhymes with ‘croquet’) authors Celia Farrar and Guy Jackson will be appearing on Sunday Brunch this weekend (Sunday 11^th June) so we’d thought we’d share a classic poke recipe from their new book.

A bit about Poke

A dish that is centuries old, poke simply means ‘to cut’ or ‘section’ and traditionally consists of chunks of fresh, raw fish, served sprinkled with Hawaiian sea salt and mixed with crunchy local limu seaweed. Hawaiian cuisine is an exhilarating melting pot of culinary influences. Walk into any supermarket or local convenience store in Hawaii and chances are you will find row upon row of fresh poke, featuring flavour profiles from across the Pacific, Asia and Europe.

Poke bowls are extremely customisable to suit specific tastes and dietary requirements. We like to think of poke as a more easy-going version of sushi, and we would encourage you to mix and match with the recipes in the book. Choose local, seasonal produce, pick a marinade, throw in a pickle or crunchy topping and suddenly you have created your own bowl of sunshine.

Ahi Poke Hawaiian Style Our homage to a contemporary Hawaiianstyle poke, traditionally served with limu kohu (seaweed) and Hawaiian salt. We’ve tried to create a similar version with variations on these classic ingredients. Hopefully the taste will transport you to the islands!  Serves 4 Base 240g  (8½  oz/1½  cups)  white  sushi  rice Poke 400g  (14  oz)  fresh  yellowfin  tuna,  cut  into 1.5  cm  (½  inch)  cubes 2  tbsp  sliced  Maui  or  sweet  white  onion 4 tbsp  spring  onions  (scallions),  just  the green  tops,  finely  sliced ½ tsp  toasted  white  sesame  seeds ½ tsp  toasted  black  sesame  seeds 1  tsp alaea  or  Hawaiian  sea  salt  (sea  salt or  Himalayan  salt  are  good  alternatives) Marinade 4  tsp  toasted  sesame  oil 2  tbsp  tamari  soy  sauce 1  tsp  grated  fresh  ginger 1  tsp  black  sesame  seeds,  lightly  toasted 1  tsp  white  sesame  seeds,  lightly  toasted pinch  of  sugar

Cook the rice as per the cooking instructions and leave to cool.

In a large mixing bowl combine the tuna, white onion, half of the spring onions, half of the black and white sesame seeds, and the salt.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl, add to the tuna and thoroughly combine. Serve immediately or leave to marinate for up to 1 hour.

Once ready to serve, spoon the cooked rice into 4 bowls and top with the fish and marinade. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds and spring onions loosely over the top of the dish.

Try pimping your bowls with Beetroot Pickled Baby Corn, Lotus Root Crisps and a few edible violet flowers.

Celia and Guy will be appearing on Sunday Brunch on Sunday 11th June. 

Poke : Hawaiian-Inspired Sushi Bowls by Celia Farrar and Guy Jackson is available to buy now from good shops that sell books and Amazon.