Bursting with flavour, so good largely thanks to two tasty sauces, and originating from Hawaii, poke is raw fish salad, or sushi in a bowl by any other description. Typically, quality raw fish such as tuna or salmon is marinated and arranged over bowls of sushi rice with fresh and pickled vegetables, avocado and spicy mayonnaise. Anything goes (the ingredients are variable), so poke bowls are a good way of using up leftover vegetables, meat and poultry. Try tofu for a change, and don’t forget the chopsticks!
Get ahead
The rice can be cooked the day before. Cool quickly, cover and chill, then serve cold, or reheat to serve (reheat until hot throughout). The edamame beans, carrot, pickled cucumber and spring onions can be prepared the day before, as can the marinade and sauce; cover and chill separately.
Hints & tips
1. Traditionally, the rice is served warm and the toppings at room temperature. However, the rice doesn’t have to be warm, it can be served hot or cold.
2. I love making poke bowls for picnics. They can be prepared in advance, are transportable, and everyone has their own container.
- 150g sushi (sticky) or jasmine rice, rinsed under cold water in a sieve until the water runs clear
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 75g frozen (podded) edamame beans
- salt
- 150g very fresh salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1.5cm cubes
- 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded or grated
- pickled cucumber, or pickled red cabbage, red onion or ginger, or other pickles from a jar
- 1 ripe avocado, halved, stoned and thinly sliced within its skin
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and thin sliced diagonally
- mixed black and white sesame seeds, toasted
- For the marinade:
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- small pinch dried chilli flakes
- For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp thick mayonnaise
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce
- ¼ tsp sesame oil sriracha sauce, to taste
- Put the rice in a small pan with 180ml cold water, put the lid on and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer very gently for 13 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to steam for 10 mins, lid on. Remove lid and stir in the rice wine vinegar. Divide between two bowls.
- Meanwhile, cook the edamame beans in a separate small pan of boiling well-salted water for 3 mins, then drain and cool.
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and stir in the salmon. Set aside.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Arrange the carrot, edamame beans and pickled cucumber (or other pickles) with a little of its juice, in groups over the rice around the edge of the bowls.
- Add the salmon with its marinade. Remove the avocado halves from their skin with a large spoon, fan out the slices and arrange on the rice.
- Drizzle the sauce in lines over the top of the bowls, or spoon it over.
- Scatter with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve.
