Seared sea salt and soy ahi tuna poke over rice with pickled cabbage, gochujang mayo, and fried shallots.
This poke bowl recipe contains two of my all-time favorite poke bowl toppings, pickled cabbage, and crispy fried shallots.
The cabbage is quick-pickled by mixing it with sugar and salt to draw out any liquid and then tossed with rice vinegar to add acidity. The shallots are shaved thin on a mandolin slicer, tossed with cornstarch, and fried to crispy perfection.
Since the toppings for this dish are the main focus, I kept the poke simple, using only onion, sea salt, soy sauce, and sesame oil. I typically marinate the fish for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. It can marinate overnight, but longer will dry out and overseason the fish. Cook the poke by searing it in a hot skillet until rare or well done, depending on your preference.
This recipe also uses unagi sauce for a topping. This ingredient is another favorite of mine for poke bowls and sushi. Sometimes called kabayaki or eel sauce, unagi sauce is a sweet soy-based sauce typically used for grilled fish. You can find the sauce in most grocery stores with an Asian foods section.
Seared Ahi Poke Bowl
Ingredients
Pickled Cabbage
- 2 cups cabbage shredded
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
Poke
- 12 ounces ahi tuna cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup onion julienne
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Fried Shallots
- 1/2 cup shallot sliced thin on a mandolin slicer
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- salt to season
- oil for frying
Gochujang Mayo
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1 tsp gochujang
Poke Bowls
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1/3 cup green onions sliced
- 3 tbsp unagi sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
Pickled Cabbage
- Toss the cabbage with the salt and sugar. Place it in a strainer to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze any liquid from the cabbage and place in a bowl. Toss with the rice vinegar and set aside until ready to use.
Poke
- Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Fried shallots
- Heat a small pot with oil to 350 degrees. Right before frying combine the shaved shallots with the cornstarch. Cook the shallots in the hot oil until slightly browned and crispy. Drain off any excess oil and season with salt.
Gochujang Mayo
- Mix the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.
Poke Bowls
- Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat. When the oil starts to smoke add the poke. Sear the poke with onions until browned on one side and remove for medium rare. If you prefer the poke to be cooked through brown the poke on all sides before removing from the pan.
- Divide the rice between 3 bowls. Top with cabbage and poke. Drizzle with gochujang mayo and unagi sauce. Top with fried shallots and green onions. Serve immediately.
