Mmm…poke!

October 17th, 2007

If you read that and said “mmm…poke” (like poke your brother in the head) and not “mmm…poke” (po-kay) then you’re missing out on a yummy traditional staple in the islands. Poke means to cut into cubes and usually consists of raw ahi tuna, a little sesame oil, shoyu (soy sauce), red pepper flake, Hawaiian salt and maybe some scallions…toss it and you’re done! Now that was a very basic recipe but the variations are so far out there that you can truly make it anything your heart desires from tuna to tofu from shoyu to yes, peanut butter…poke is the dish that keeps on evolving. It’s so popular that friend/famed Hawaiian chef Sam Choy has a Poke Contest every year where entrants both professional and amateurs give their own variations on the dish.

Now there are some people who can’t stomach the raw fish. I’ve had it “traditional” (raw) and it’s tolerable but the hubby can’t get past it. We prefer it to be flash fried. When Sam made this for us once he used ono (wahoo) and it was DELICIOUS! He said as an alternate for the flash fried version, you can use swordfish for the same effect. Knowing I didn’t have access to the ogo (seaweed) he used on the mainland, I sought out dried ogo in the store and came across the Poke Mix by NOH. It is wonderful! All you need is ahi or swordfish depending on which version you’d like to make, the poke mix and 2 tbsp of sesame oil, fry it up in the wok and as long as you don’t overcook them–it’ll taste just like the pros! If you want this easy way to make poke, the best deal is through Amazon.com. The 12 pack averages out to $2.27 per packet which is the cheapest price out there. Take some for yourself and give some to others as stocking stuffers.

So what about you? What’s your favorite way to make poke?