I always find new dishes to love when I travel and my recent trip was no exception. Last month, I was in Hawaii for a wedding and one of the appetizers we were served became my new favorite dish: poke.
According to my table-mates, poke (pronounced "po-kay") is a traditional Hawaiian appetizer - a raw fish salad served cold. Dressed with soy sauce and some local ingredients, it was definitely a delicious addition to our meal. I went back for several more helpings! Throughout our stay in Hawaii I managed to enjoy poke three more times; each time it was different - with a new array of sauces and spices - but always equally tasty.
Poke is extremely versatile - I saw food trucks and restaurants throughout the island offering poke made of tuna, octopus, grilled beef and tofu. Usually served over rice, it seemed like each chef made a poke to reflect their own taste and personality.
I decided that I was a huge fan of the tuna poke so when it came time for me to make my own, I splurged on the Hawaiian tuna at my local grocery store. It was well worth the price for a beautifully red tuna steak. Sourcing the rest of my ingredients simply meant rifling through my cabinets to see what I had available. I settled on oyster sauce, soy sauce, green onions, sesame seeds, rice vinegar and sea salt.
I didn't use just any sea salt; I used a red sea salt that was actually the wedding favor from the night I had first tasted poke. This particular salt was hand-crafted from the island of Kuai in keeping with local traditions. It was a wonderful way to keep the spirit of my Hawaiian vacation alive.
Poke
2/3 pounds of tuna
1 cup oyster sauce
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup sliced green onion
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Sea salt to taste
- Cube the tuna into bite size pieces.
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Refrigerate for two hours before serving.
This appetizer is perfect for the end of summer and would be great followed by the Hawaiian dessert Hula Pie. Check out The Chopping Block's upcoming cooking classes that celebrate the change of seasons such as Couples Cooking: Late-Summer Feast. 
