A few years ago, our family vacationed in Hawaii and one of my favorite things to do was to try all the different varieties of Hawaiian Poke at the local supermarkets. Imagine a deli case filled with eight to ten different pokes (tuna poke is the most popular) instead of potato salad.
Traditional Hawaiian poke typically consists of fresh raw fish (think sushi quality) that is mixed with sea salt and limu seaweed. Nowadays, poke is made with other types of seafood such as octopus, crab and oyster, and additional ingredients like tomatoes, onions, hot sauce and wasabi. Poke reminds me of fish tartare except the fish pieces are typically bigger chunks.
My kids are not big fish eaters, but they do like sushi. I’ve been trying to get my boys to eat more fish over the years, and so far, fish tacos, Salmon with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce, and sushi are their favorites.
Last week, I found some sushi quality fish at a local Korean supermarket. The pack came with tuna, salmon and some sort of white fish. I decided to make a deconstructed sushi in the form of a Mixed Fish Avocado Poke Tower – it reminded me of the way I’ve seen tuna tartare served in some restaurants.
The addition of avocado was an afterthought after seeing a recipe for a Tuna Tartare Slider on Cooking Light. I didn’t think the boys would eat raw fish on a bun, so instead, I served this Poke Tower sushi style, with some snack-size seaweed sheets (you can find these at the Asian grocery store, Trader Joe’s and Costcos), and steamed rice. To enjoy this sushi style, just put a little steamed rice on a snack-size piece of seaweed, top with a spoonful of Poke, and eat – fun finger food.
This fits into my category of small bites – it can be served as an appetizer, or alongside other small bites. My kids love it when I put out a smorgasbord of little plates with lots of different little dishes to choose from.
This week, I’m participating in Food Network’s Sensational Sides event where No-Cook Sides are being featured. Please be sure to check out what all my foodie friends made for this event:
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Mixed Fish Poke Tower
Feed Me Phoebe: Smoked Tofu Summer Rolls
The Lemon Bowl: Asian Cabbage Slaw With Mint and Scallions
The Cultural Dish: Caprese Salad
Cooking With Elise: Good for You Guacamole
Dishin & Dishes: Chicken Salad With Dried Cherries and Walnuts
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cilantro, Ginger and Garlic Dip
Red or Green?: Avocado and Three Chile Salsa
Weelicious: Avocado Honey Dip
Devour: No-Cook Kale Salad Recipes
Made By Michelle: Swiss Chard Pesto
The Sensitive Epicure: No-Cook Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Domesticate Me: Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower
FN Dish: Go Raw With Shaved Salads
Mixed Fish and Avocado Poke Tower {Deconstructed Sushi}
Ingredients
Mixed Fish and Avocado Poke
- 3/4 pound sushi-grade fish tuna, salmon, yellowtail, cut into small dice
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ponzu sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 scallion minced
- 1 avocado diced
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
To Serve
- Snack Size Toasted Seaweed
- steamed rice
Instructions
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Mix all Poke ingredients except for avocado together in a medium bowl.
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Use a round biscuit cutter to mold poke. Spoon avocado inside biscuit cutter. Press down gently. Spoon poke on top and press gently. Carefully lift biscuit cutter. Depending on the size of your biscuit cutter, this recipe will probably make two towers.
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Serve with toasted seaweed wrappers and steamed rice. Each person can spoon a little rice on top of the seaweed sheet, and top with some poke. Use your fingers to eat.
Beautiful Jeanette! When i was in Hawaii, I couldn’t get enough of dishes like this – so good!
Thanks Alyssa, everything is so fresh in Hawaii isn’t it? Especially the fish!
This looks like heaven! I have to try this one! I had a version of this at a little French resteraunt a year or so ago, different flavours of course but it was amazing!
Gwen – I’d love to try the French version – probably more like a tartare.
Oh this looks so delicious!
Thanks Diane – it’s so easy!
Gorgeous, Jeanette! Seriously wishing I had this for lunch right now! 🙂
Thanks Amanda – I could eat this for lunch almost every day 🙂
I love this idea of a deconstructed sushi! Also, all these flavors sound fantastic together.
Thanks Russell – it’s a lot easier for everyone to make their own sushi wraps and more fun!
I could dive right into that! Absolutely my kind of dish, and I love the gorgeous plating.
This look so good! I love how you layered the ingredients. Beautiful!
Beautiful dish! I love all of the colors!
Thanks Sommer – we love poke!
This is the kind of dish you pay good money to get at a restaurant! It’s absolutely stunning, Jeanette! Good to know that, with the right ingredients, it’s so easy to make.
Poke is something I would have never dared to make in my own kitchen – but this looks like I HAVE TO. Everything about this sounds amazing. Texture and flavor. I have got to try this one!
Thanks Lydia, Angie, Georgia and Kita – this looks so fancy but it’s so easy to make at home – the fish just has to be super fresh!
I’ve never tried poke but I do love me some sushi! This sounds like such a great way to enjoy it!
Jeanette I love this! It’s the prettiest sushi I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been finding beautiful tuna in my local market lately, now I know what to do with it!
Deconstructed sushi is perfect for me because then I can eliminate the rice altogether. Love this, Jeanette!
Carolyn, this would be great without any rice – I’d even have it over some baby greens.
I have not heard of deconstructed sushi but I would love to try it. Where would I get a ponzu sauce and the seaweeds? Is there an alternative ingredients if these are not available? It is a good thing that your kids like sushi, fish tacos and salmon. It means that you are very creative in coming up with fish dishes so that they could be able to eat these fish dishes and love them all. Perhaps I will try this mixed fish poke tower in the near future.
Sarah – you can find ponzu sauce at Whole Foods and perhaps in the Asian section of your supermarket. I’ve seen the seaweed (they come in small packages) at Trader Joe’s and Costco’s (although it’s a big box). I buy mine from the local Asian market.
What an elegant presentation!
Thanks Sylvie – reminds me of the way it was served at one of our local restaurants – always fun to recreate restaurant dishes at home on the fly!
Tuna and avocado go so well together and this tower of them looks amazing!
Thanks Kevin – I agree, tuna and avocado make a great combination.