Westcoast Cooking - Albacore Póke

Albacore Póke

Thursday, 24 July 2008

Poke, the indispensable Hawaiian pupu or appetizer is most typically made with ahi tuna. But on this side of the Pacific, Washington-caught Albacore tuna, available in cryogenically sealed packs is tender, more flavorful than ahi, and probably healthier. (The smaller, troll caught albacore tuna are less likely to contain mercury.) If you can find them, glossy green Ti leaves rolled into cones and held in place with toothpicks, make evocative impromptu dishes for the tuna.
(Serves up to 12 as an appetizer)
1 pound fresh or thawed albacore tuna
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled ginger
3 tablespoons Hawaiian style soy sauce
1 teaspoon wasabi powder (Japanese horseradish)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Ti leaves, optional
Taro Chips, recipe follows or Exotic chips, see note

1.)   Cut the albacore into 1/8-inch dice. In a small mixing bowl, combine diced albacore, green onion, and pickled ginger.
2.)   In a separate container, whisk together soy sauce, wasabi, pepper, and sesame oil. Pour the dressing over the fish and toss to combine. Chill thoroughly.
3.)   To serve, pile the salad into cones fashioned from Ti leaves or pack it, 1/2 cup at a time into a moistened 4-ounce ramekin or a 1/2-cup measuring cup and invert the mound of poke onto a clean, chilled plate. Arrange a few taro chips in a fan to one side of the mound. Serve cold.

Taro Chips
(Makes about 60 chips)
1 pound fresh taro root, peeled
hot oil for frying
kosher salt

1.)   On a mandolin or other slicer, cut taro root into paper-thin slices. Rinse the slices in several changes of cold water to wash off some of the excess starch, then pat the slices dry with paper towels.
2.)   Fry in small batches in hot oil, without crowding for 2-3 minutes, or until chips are crisp. Drain and sprinkle while still hot with kosher salt. Cool completely before storing in airtight container.