FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Poke recipes embrace innovation
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Some years ago, I was a judge at the Sam Choy Poke Festival at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. I was happy to experience the ways that people have stretched this rather simple Hawaiian concept beyond raw fish and seaweed.
The one that stands out from that year was a dish made with Moloka'i hihiwai by Maui disc jockey Henry "Uncle Boy" Kanae. I don't know if you could call it a poke, technically — the snails, which live in fresh or brackish water and are hard to come by, were raw and swimming, so to speak, in a delicious shoyu sauce. 'Ono loa!
Over the years, I've tasted a memorable seared steak poke, created by chef Patrick Callarec; and my husband and I are fans of the tofu poke at Safeway Beretania. But my favorite is still 'ahi shoyu poke, and I especially like it fried, for breakfast, with eggs.
This year's winner of the Sam Choy Poke Festival's Best Poke in Paradise contest was chef Hideo Kurihara of the Hapuna's Hakone Steaks & Sushi Bar, who received Best in Show, first place (professional) and Best Poke with Hokkigai (surf clams).
Other winners: Scott Sorrel of the Grand Wailea, second place (professional); Kerry Kakuzu of Honolulu, first prize (non-professional); and Sam Kong Kee of San Francisco (second place, non-professional). Ryan Vargas of the Four Seasons Hualalai received the general manager's choice award, while 77-year-old Nyna Akiona of the Big Island was the Sam Choy's Choice winner.
Kurihara's winning recipe is a multi-layered creation: ahi shoyu poke served over a bed of sesame-accented, sautéed gobo (burdock root) and carrots with watercress clam salad. The recipe makes a lot; save it for a party.
Here's how to make it:
• Watercress salad: Briefly boil 2 pounds watercress in briskly boiling, salted water, until the watercress turns bright green. Drain, stop cooking with cold water, then squeeze out water; cut into 1 1/2-inch slices. Marinate for 20 minutes in a mixture of 2 tablespoons fresh chili paste (such as sambal oelek), 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch white ground pepper, 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds. Mix in 1 pound chopped hokkigai.
• 'Ahi shoyu poke: Marinate 5 pounds thinly sliced fresh sashimi-grade 'ahi for 20 minutes in a mixture of 1 cup shoyu, 1 cup sake.
• Gobo-carrot garnish: Wash, peel and cut into thin strips (julienne) 1 pound gobo and 2 carrots. Sauté vegetables in a little sesame oil, adding 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon shoyu and cooking until vegetables are tender-crisp and nicely glazed.
• To serve: Scatter gobo and carrot on platter. Arrange watercress on top and 'ahi on top of that. Garnish with julienne myoga (ginger shoots; these are available at Marukai — or use pickled ginger).
