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Tuna Poke

5.0

(1)

Image may contain Plant Food Meal Salad and Dish
Alex Lau

The real key here is to use the best-quality tuna you can find. When in doubt, ask your fishmonger if he would eat it raw. If the answer is no, neither should you.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain sushi rice
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
2 tablespoons dried hijiki (seaweed)
3 tablespoons mirin, divided
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
½ teaspoon sesame seeds, plus more for serving
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ English hothouse cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise, sliced crosswise into half-moons
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup mixed fresh citrus juice (such as lime, lemon, and grapefruit)
2 tablespoons white soy sauce or soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)
¾ pound highest-quality fresh tuna, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 avocado, chopped
Tobiko (for serving; optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rinse and drain rice in a fine-mesh sieve several times until water runs clear. Let sit 30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Combine rice and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan, season lightly with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover saucepan, and simmer until rice is tender, 18–22 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork; keep warm.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, soak hijiki in ½ cup cold water in a small bowl until rehydrated and softened, 30–35 minutes. Drain and mix in a clean small bowl with 1 Tbsp. mirin, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, and ½ tsp. sesame seeds; let sit 5 minutes. Drain.

    Step 4

    Whisk vinegar, sugar, 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, and 2 Tbsp. water in another small bowl. Toss cucumber with a pinch of salt in another bowl and squeeze to expel excess water. Add cucumber and jalapeño to brine and let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour to pickle.

    Step 5

    Soak scallions in a medium bowl of cold water until they begin to curl, about 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry.

    Step 6

    Combine citrus juice, white soy sauce, oil, remaining 2 Tbsp. mirin, and remaining 2 Tbsp. soy sauce in another small bowl; set ponzu aside.

    Step 7

    Whisk mayonnaise and chili paste in a final small bowl to combine; set spicy mayo aside.

    Step 8

    Toss tuna, hijiki, drained pickles, scallions, and ponzu in a large bowl; season with salt.

    Step 9

    Just before serving, toss avocado into tuna mixture. Divide rice among bowls and top with tuna mixture, a dollop of spicy mayo, more sesame seeds, and some tobiko, if using.

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