Crafted by Clare Heal - Journalist-turned-chef based in London
Feeds 2-4
Poke is a Hawaiian dish of diced raw fish – the name is pronounced “poh-kay” and means to slice. It’s traditionally made with tuna or octopus but is a beautiful use for the Goldstein’s Royal Fillet, letting you appreciate the delicate flavour and firm silky texture of the fish.
Hawaiian poke is made with candlenuts and limu – one of many local seaweeds. We’ve substituted them for the more easily available macadamia nuts and nori. Leave the nuts out if you like but the crunch they provide is a lovely contrast to the richness of the salmon.
Eating poke with rice turns it into a hearty but healthy meal and we’ve suggested a number of accompaniments to create a bowl but don’t feel obliged to make them all – pick and choose as the mood takes you.
Ingredients
- 250g sushi rice
- 50g macadamia nuts
- 2 spring onions
- 2 sheets nori seaweed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch Korean chilli flakes (to taste)
- 300-400g Smoked Salmon Royal Fillet
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (black, white or a mixture)
Method
- Cook the sushi rice according to packet instructions. Be sure to wash it really well before cooking – this is how you get the distinctive sticky texture with distinct grains. Once it’s done, let cool before serving - hot rice will cook the fish!
- Chop and toast the macadamia nuts. You can do this in a dry frying pan or a 180°C oven. They should be golden brown. Be careful as they burn easily.
- Thinly slice the spring onions. Use kitchen scissors to cut the nori sheets into thin strips.
- Prepare any accompaniments you wish (see below).
- Put the soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli flakes in a large bowl and stir to combine. Cut the Royal Fillet into 1cm dice. Add it to the bowl along with the macadamia nuts, spring onion, nori and sesame seeds and toss to coat evenly. Let sit for five minutes for the flavours to infuse whilst you arrange your rice and accompaniments in a bowl.
- Top with the salmon and tuck in.
Accompaniments
- Avocado, sliced or diced
- Cucumber, peeled and diced
- Radish, thinly sliced
- Edamame beans, cooked
- Carrot, matchsticked and pickled for 10 mins in equal parts hot water, vinegar and sugar
Variations
- Thinly sliced sweet onions are a traditional addition, as well as the spring onions.
- Add more or less chilli flakes to suit your taste. If you don’t have Korean chilli flakes (aka gochugaru) use Aleppo chilli flakes, chipotle powder or cayenne pepper. Try minced garlic, ginger, wasabi or fresh sliced chillies for more fire too.
- Furikake, the Japanese seasoning of sesame seeds, seaweed and spices is great sprinkled on top.
- Some recipes use mayonnaise or sriracha mixed in with the fish for a creamier finish.
- We’ve used nori just because it’s the easiest seaweed to come by in the UK but it goes soggy very quickly so should only be added just before serving. If you have access to other seaweeds such as wakame or hijiki you could explore the different flavours and textures.
- The accompaniments we’ve suggested are just the tip of the iceberg. Try kimchi, pickles, salad leaves, beansprouts, crispy shallots, fish roe, sweetcorn, fruit and herbs.
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