POKE BOWLS
The easiest weeknight dinner you’ll ever make
4 servings, 1 hour
Ingredients:
Salmon or tuna sushi grade 1 lb
Fish marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp chili flakes (alternatively can use sriracha)
Optional: sesame seeds, scallions (I used 1/4 cup scallions)
Rice:
2 cups uncooked rice, preferably Nishiki - cook to package instructions
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar
Salt
Topping ideas:
Edamame, frozen and shelled
Cucumber or cucumber salad (3-4 persian cucumbers dressed with 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp honey/sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, pinch of salt, optional chili flake or sesame seeds)
Nori sheets or seaweed salad
Mango
Radish
Scallions
Avocado
Ginger
Spicy mayo:
1/4 cup mayo, preferably Kewpie
2 tbsp sriracha
2 tsp soy sauce
Optional: honey
The Blistered Peppers Take:
If you know me, you know sushi is my go-to. My first trip with my husband was to Japan simply because we were both obsessed with sushi - and while Jiro disappointed us, the fish market sushi was mind blowing. It took us weeks to eat sushi in NYC again simply because none could compare. Though, I’ve yet to make any type or roll or nigiri, when I heard that HMART was second to none when it comes to freshness and product, I knew this was my chance to start recipe testing. Sushi as an art has such specific technique, that I thought I’d start with something a little more simple in terms of preparation, which is why I started with Poke.
I’m always telling you guys that fresh is best. But, with this recipe I’m SCREAMING it at you. Asking your fishmonger for SUSHI-GRADE tuna or salmon is a must. Otherwise, it could really get you sick. Yes, this is a raw meal. No cooking necessary. Which is why fresh is NECESSARY. I’m not saying other fish are not fresh, but sushi-grade is the only grade you should eat raw. You’ll see why when you look out for it. If you’re going for salmon, the sushi-grade is a strong salmon/orange color. If you’re using tuna the tuna is pink, pink. Sushi-grade fish also rarely has an aggressive fish smell. My final fish recommendation is to only purchase this fish, and any fish, from a place you trust.
OK, now that I’ve successfully scared you all from creating this dish 😊, let’s get on with it. I mentioned above that I love sushi, but this is called Poke, so have I gone mad? No, because they’re similar. Poke is a raw fish dish served over a bed of rice topped with a plethora of add-ons and is Native to Hawaii. If you’ve never had Poke but love sushi, many options have parallel flavors to that of sushi and you’ll probably find that you really love it. If you’ve never had either sushi or Poke, the time is now. Given that a lot of times you’ll find me at my favorite sushi spot, I’ve got a real understanding for how the flavors should appear. That said, this took some playing around. That’s why you’ll see there’s a bunch of optional toppings/additions (that, and I love to change up the toppings from time to time).
Another important note about this dish is that rice is a main component. So pick a rice that you love. You can play around with any - brown, white, long grain, short grain. I am partial to a white short grain, specifically Nishiki, but really any type will work. Some people even layer the fish atop some greens, which is a perfectly viable option as well, (but if you can, try the rice).
My last important call out for this dish is the marinating process. You’re not taking a dense chicken or beef product and marinating for hours or overnight to ensure the protein absorbs all the deliciousness. Instead you’re coating the fish for flavor, but you cannot over marinate. If you do, it will start to cook or pickle the fish and you’ll get a completely different outcome than what you’re expecting.
Something else you’ll notice when cooking with this type of fish is that it’s almost buttery and melts in your mouth. The first time you cut into a slice of the fish you will be blown away by its consistency and how easily it cuts (use a sharp knife!).
Whether you’ve made it before or you’re a first timer. Give this recipe a try. Send me your pics. What toppings are your favorite? Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Steps:
Cook rice: follow package instructions, bring the liquid and rice to a boil (should be a 1-1 ratio for sushi rice), lower the heat, cover and cook until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender. In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, white sugar, and a pinch of salt, heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, for about 1 minute; then whisk well so sugar dissolves. Pour over the cooked rice and fluff with a fork or rice paddle.
Alternatively you can use a rice cooker, my go to is Zojirushi.
While the rice is cooking, prep the veggies:
Cucumber salad: thinly slice the cucumbers, dress with rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, pinch of salt, chili flake, and sesame seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Steam edamame: add some frozen edamame to a microwave safe bowl, cover with water, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and create a few punctures with a fork/knife so it can steam. Microwave for 4-6 minutes. Drain water and let cool.
Prepare fish: In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, chili flakes, sesame seeds, and scallion. Cut the fish of choice into ¼ inch cubes, then place the fish in the dressing and mix until well coated. Keep cool in the fridge.
The fish can ‘marinate’ while you finish the rest of the dish components, but don’t let it sit for over an hour.
Make spicy mayo: whisk together the mayo, sriracha, and soy sauce.
Assemble the bowl! Check out the video on how I assemble my poke bowls and enjoy!
