Fried Poke with Keahole Ahi Nori
Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish usually made with cubes of freshly caught fish eaten raw and seasoned with coarse salt, chilies, and seaweed. Here it gets an update by quickly searing the fish, ahi, or skipjack tuna, until it is cooked on the outside and rare in the center.
Ingredients
- Fried Poke
- Soy sauce - 2 teaspoons
- Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
- Green onion tops - 2 teaspoons, finely chopped
- Ogo (seaweed) - 1/2 cup
- Asian sesame oil - 2 cups
- Marlin - 10 oz, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Keahole Ahi Nori
- Ahi tuna - Four 10 oz steaks, cut into 1/2-by-3-inch sticks
- Salt - To taste
- Wasabi Taste - 4 teaspoons
- Nori - 2 sheets
- Canola oil - 2-1/2 cups, for deep-frying
- Asian Dressing
- Orange Juice - 4 cups, fresh
- Black sesame seeds - 1/2 cup
- Sugar - 6 tablespoons
- Salt - 2 tablespoons
- Canola oil - 1 cup
- Plain rice wine vinegar - 6 tablespoons
- Soy Sauce - 1/4 cup
- Wasabi Vinaigrette
- Orange Juice - 4 cups
- Black sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
- Sugar - 6 tablespoons
- Salt - 2 tablespoons
- Canola oil - 1 cup
- Plain rice wine vinegar - 6 tablespoons
- Soy Sauce - 1/4 cup
- Wasabi paste - 1/4 cup
- Mixed baby greens - 4 handfuls (4 ounces)
- Carrot curls - For garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make the poke: In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, onion, green onions, ogo, and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Mix well. Add the marlin and stir to coat. In a wok or skillet over high heat, heat the remaining sesame oil and sear the marlin on all sides for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the outside is opaque and the inside is rare. Transfer the marlin to a plate and set aside.
To make the ahi nori: Season the ahi sticks with salt and spread wasabi paste on one side of each stick. Cut the nori sheet in half and wrap each fish stick lengthwise. The wasabi paste and moisture from the fish help the nori to adhere. Add 1 inch of oil to a wok or deep skillet. Heat the oil to 365 F, or until it sizzles but does not smoke. Add the wrapped fish sticks and cook for about 15 seconds, or until nori is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sticks to paper towels to drain.
To make the Asian dressing: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until incorporated.
To make the wasabi vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until incorporated.
To serve: Divide the baby greens among 4 plates. Place the fried poke in the center of the greens. Slice the ahi nori into pieces and fan around the edges. Drizzle both dressings over the poke and the ahi nori. Garnish each with a small twist of carrot curls.
