Several poke restaurants throughout the GTA (1, 2) , as well as Vancouver, already allow meals to be fully personalized to customers' preferences, but attempting to compile one's own rendition at home literally hands over the baton of customization.
The concept is simple, really, but the resouce allocation and preparation processes themselves are quite time-consuming.
Marinade:
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp wasabi
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- juice of half of a lime
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of granulated sugar
Poke Bowl*:
- 1/2 fillet salmon sashimi
- 2 tbsp corn kernels
- 1 cup romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp potato salad
- 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
- Jeju mandarin wedges
- dried seaweed strips (to taste)
- black and white sesame seeds (to taste)
- 1/3 cup cooked white rice
- 1-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of granulated sugar
- Kewpie mayonnaise
Directions:
Part i: Salmon Poke
1) Using a sharp knife, carefully slice sashimi-grade salmon fillet into small cubes of approximately 2 cm each.
2) Mix marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and coat cubed salmon well.
3) Let sit covered while the other components of the poke bowl are prepared.
Part ii: Poke Bowl
1) Combine white rice with rice wine vinegar, sea salt, and sugar. Mix well.
2) Place sushi rice and/or romaine lettuce at the bottom of a shallow, wide bowl. Top with potato salad, corn kernels, and Jeju mandarin wedges. Spoon marinated salmon poke to the centre of the bowl.
3) Garnish with green onion, sesame seeds, nori strips, and mayonnaise.
4) Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Poke bowls allow for complete customization; this being stated, it should be noted that the items utilized in this recipe should be viewed as a mere guideline for variance in nutritional properties. White sushi rice can easily be substituted for quinoa, brown rice, or soba noodles; sunomono (crab meat salad) and pineapple chunks can be used in place of potato salad and mandarin wedges respectively. Feel free to let your creativity guide you!
- It is crucial that sashimi-grade fish is obtained for this recipe, as raw salmon and tuna fillets cannot be handled in the same manner and may induce disease if not treated properly.
- For a vegetarian or vegan option, tofu (or any other plant-based protein of choice) can be utilized in place of salmon.