Poke Four Ways: Spicy Ahi Tuna, Shoya Ahi Tuna, Miso Tako,
and Carrot Ginger

Daria Souvorova

2 hours total
serves: 16-24

I loved the freshness of the fruit and fish in Hawaii, but I was not a huge fan of the deep-fried and fatty dishes, so most of the time, Nico and I would eat pounds and pounds of the amazing Ahi Tuna poke that is available at almost every convenience store. Before leaving for Hawaii, I made a list of dozens of Poke shops so there would be fabulous poke available around every corner!

This is the fist dish I knew I wanted to make for our dinner this past weekend, everything else was built around the idea of fresh raw tuna in delicious sauces. I researched dozens of traditional and contemporary Poke recipes and decided to try to recreate some of my favorites from our trip. We made a creamy Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke with Avocado and Tobiko Roe and a Shoya Ahi Tuna Poke with soy and sesame. For a different fish flavor, I made a Miso Tako (Octopus) Poke and a light and colorful Ginger Carrot Poke. The flavors all worked so well together, it was one of my favorite dishes of the night!

Poke is generally eaten over a bed of rice with some furikake as a main course, but I decided to serve our poke with some freshly baked toasts as an appetizer. We served our Poke Platter alongside a duo of Spicy Tuna and California Temake Hand Rolls.

You will need the sharpest knife you can find to properly chop the tuna without bruising or tearing it. I use a Yoshiro Yanagi Sashimi Knife, the white carbon steel is very brittle and can be sharpened to an incredibly sharp edge, it runs through the fish like butter! Do not use a serrated knife!

Ingredients:

• Spicy Ahi:
• 1 1/2 pound sushi-grade tuna, 1/2-3/4 inch cube
• 1 cup scallion greens, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, 1/2 inch cube
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup tobiko roe
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• salt and pepper
• Shoya Ahi Tuna:
• 1 1/2 pound sushi-grade tuna, 1/2-3/4 inch cube
• 3/4 cup yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup scallion greens, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3/4 teaspoon sambal olek
• Miso Tako:
• 2 pounds raw octopus, chopped small (1 pound cooked)
• 2 tablespoons miso
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup or so green scallion tops
• Carrot Ginger:
• 2 pounds, or about 10 medium carrots, peeled and chopped to about 1/2 inch cubes
• 6-8 inches ginger, minced (about a cup of ginger)
• 2 cups crown daisy leaves, chopped
• 6-8 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• salt and pepper

1. 1. For the Spicy Ahi Tuna and Shoya Ahi Tuna: combine all of the ingredients and carefully mix together, make sure not to crush the tuna or avocado. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to one day. Taste and re-season before serving, as the flavors might change a bit.
   2. For the Miso Tako: Cover the octopus in water and add about 1 tablespoon of salt. Boil, and reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 40 minutes until the octopus is a bit chewy but easy to bite through.
   3. Drain octopus, cover, and refrigerate.
   4. Combine sauces, add scallions and octopus. Cover, refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour but up to one day.
   5. For the Carrot Ginger: Heat sesame oil and add ginger and crown daisy.
   6. Add a teaspoon of sauce, 1 or 2 slices of tuna and a but of scallion. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the greens are wilted and the ginger is aromatic.
   7. Meanwhile, steam the carrots for about 10 minutes until firm but wasy to bite through.
   8. Combine the carrots and ginger mixture, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with lime juice. Adjust flavors to taste and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.