Poke Bowl
A vibrant mix of sushi-grade fish, sticky rice, crunchy vegetables and creamy avocado drizzled with spicy sriracha mayo, a poke bowl is just as much fun to look at as it is to eat. Poke, which roughly translates “to cut crosswise into pieces” in Hawaiian, was born out of a no-waste scenario. While the exact timeframe is uncertain, Polynesians inhabiting what is now the Hawaiian Islands chopped leftover cuts of their daily catch into bite-sized pieces and seasoned them with salt and other ingredients. In the late 1800s, Japanese immigrants added soy sauce and rice to the dish. Eventually, poke made its way to the mainland and evolved into a customizable dish: The toppings listed here are just suggestions, so feel free to get as creative as you like, just make sure there is a balance of flavors and textures. Fresh fish is the star and should be sushi-grade and marinated for at least 1 hour. For a vegetarian version, try marinating cubed, firm avocado, and bulk up on the other ingredients. In the time that it takes to marinate, you can prepare the rice, or make use of leftover rice (you’ll need about 4 cups cooked). Don’t skip the spicy mayo to bring it all together.
Ingredients
- 1/4cup soy sauce, plus more as needed
- 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2tablespoons mirin or rice vinegar, or a combination of both, plus more as needed
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more as needed
- Crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
- 1pound sushi-grade tuna (yellowfin, ahi or bigeye) or salmon, or combination of both, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1scallion, thinly sliced
- 2teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 1/2cups sushi or Calrose rice
- 1/4cup rice vinegar
- 1 1/2tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1/3cup Kewpie mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise
- Sriracha or hot sauce of choice, to taste
- 1/2cup store-bought seaweed salad
- 1/2cup shelled and cooked edamame
- 1small ripe avocado, chopped
- 1mango, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1Persian cucumber, sliced or diced
- 1scallion, thinly sliced
- 2radishes, thinly sliced
- Pickled ginger, to taste
- Furikake, to taste
Directions
Marinate the fish: In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sugar and crushed red pepper. Add the fish, scallion and sesame seeds, gently tossing to combine. Cover and refrigerate to chill and marinate, for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Prepare the rice: In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear, then transfer it to a medium lidded pot or saucepan. Cover with 2 cups of cold water and soak for 15 minutes. Stir and bring the rice to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the grains are tender and the water has absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the rice. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. (Alternatively, use a rice cooker.)
Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt for the rice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 3 minutes. When the rice is ready, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture evenly on top and gently fold it into the rice. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. (The rice can be prepared up to three days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.)
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sriracha, to taste. Remove the poke from the fridge, taste and season with mirin, sugar and crushed pepper, if needed. Set up a poke bowl bar with the poke, rice, toppings of choice and spicy mayo.