Poke Recipe

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE SOME FRESHLY CAUGHT TUNA. GIVE ME A GOOD PIECE OF TUNA AND I WILL MAKE SASHIMI OUT OF IT, OR IN THIS CASE, HAWAIIAN STYLE POKE!

I was lucky enough to receive several pieces of yellowtail tuna from my Dad from his recent fishing trip. I've been tempted to sell it on the street corner when times have been tough financially, but it is just too good to sell. I know it would be a rare occasion where I would actually be willing to spend almost 40 dollars on a pound of some fish, so I'm gonna enjoy it instead. Thanks, Dad!

For those of you who don't know what poke is, boy, are you missing out. Lucky for you I'm gonna remedy that. Poke is essentially a raw tuna salad. Don't panic! It's delicious.

There are many variations to poke. However, today I'm gonna share my recipe with you!

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh raw Tuna Filet (deboned and preferably yellowtail)
1/2 Red Onion chopped
1 Jalapeño de-seeded and diced
5 Scallions chopped, including the green parts.
1 - 2 Tbs of Black Sesame Seeds
3 Tbs of Sesame Oil
3 Tbs of Soy Sauce

Chopped Onions, Scallions, and Diced Jalapeño

After you've chopped and diced the onion, scallions and jalapeño, add them to a medium sized bowl.

Next take your tuna (I used yellowtail), make sure you have patted it dry with a paper towel, and chop it up into 1 inch thick cubed pieces.

Now add that to your bowl with the other ingredients. Next, combine the sesame oil and soy sauce together in a small bowl or measuring cup.

Whisk all the ingredients together until combined. If you don't have a whisk use a fork! Pour the sauce over everything in your bowl and toss to coat. Last, but not least, add the sesame seeds into your bowl and toss once more. Throw your bowl of goodness in to the fridge for about 15 - 20 minutes. Once it has thoroughly chilled and marinated you can dig in.

Voila! You've just made Poke! Enjoy it with some steamed sticky rice, or by itself. I know raw fish can be scary, but trust me, you don't want to miss eating this.

Alex Chester is the creator and producer of the theatre company WeSoHapa — a theatre based on diversity and inclusion. She is a New York City based columnist for On Stage Blog and contributing writer for ManhattanDigest.com and HuffPo. She also hosts a podcast with fellow writer Melissa Slaughter, We're Not All Ninjas. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram @AlexFChester if you like food and cats.