Ahi Tuna Poké

I learned of this treasure called "Poké" in Hawaii.  I tried several different types while visiting over many trips, but liked the Ahi Tuna one the best.  I have been craving this like crazy lately and decided I wanted to make this at home.  At IGA, I see some pretty good looking Ahi at times, though, "previously frozen".  I was looking at it earlier this week and the Meat/Seafood dept. manager was beside me laying out the seafood.  I asked him if I could eat the Ahi raw?  He told me that "NO", not from the case (all of the seafood laying on ice) as there may be cross contamination, but if I wanted, he would thaw some for me and slice it for me so I could have sashimi, or tartar - a.k.a. POKE!  He told me to give him a days notice.  I told him I would request for Friday then and come back.  He told me no problem.  I went back on Friday and sure enough, he had put a piece aside for me and told his staff to expect me.  I think "he who serverd me" overcharged me?  It was $3.99 per 100 grams.  What I bought was 1.23 lbs.  I don't know how to figure it out....grrrr....  Everything in my mind is half pounds and ounces and kilograms and milligrams on the other side since we switched in Canada to metric - somewhere around ending elementary school and starting high school for me.  I never adapted to the metric system.  I have to google translate it all the time.  I still do the temperature in Fahrenheit.  I have no idea what it is in Celsius. I have no idea what kilograms are - I use pounds still.  Anyway, I think it should have cost about $22 with my google calculations.  :P

I asked the guy who served me why it was so dark.  He assured me it was fine and that it comes in different colours sometimes.  I looked at him skeptically and then asked if he was sure I could eat this raw.  He smiled and said, "Hopefully you will be ok.  Lots of people eat it raw and they come back here for more....I think".  I really hope he was joking as that's how I took it.  ;)  He told me it was still partially frozen and I could wait till tomorrow if I wanted.  It was getting made tonight!  I read that there is a 2 day fridge life on raw tuna.  Anyway, if I never write another food post, then you know what happened to me...

I seriously have ZERO knowledge about raw seafood...I looked up and read a little and that if Ahi tuna was "frozen", then parasites were a low risk, so that much I knew/hoped...I also read that "sushi grade" tuna is a misconception to most (including myself)...

So, I used a basic recipe with a couple subs/additions.  I used Sambal Oelek (about a heaping tablespoon as I like it hot) for the spice and I added about a tablespoon of furikake into the bowl as well.  I also garnished with the furikake.  I served it with these veggie chips which I really like and buy at Costco.  The ones I buy are Low Sodium.

I opened the tuna and it smelled fresh like the ocean (thank goodness!), though I stood there and smelled it over and over for a long time.  I sliced it into small cubes, about 1/2" squared.

I chopped the sweet onion very small, minced the garlic and sliced the green onions very thinly.  I grated the ginger with a microplane.  I mixed all the recipe ingredients into the bowl, sealed it with saran wrap and put it in the fridge for 2 hours.  (I tried it after a half hour and it was OMG delicious, I went back 2 or three times, actually!).

It was really dark when I served it, but I did use 1/4 cup of soy and I did let it sit a long time.  It tasted like the poké I remember in Oahu and like some of the tuna tartar I order out now, around town.  Salty, spicy, crunchy with the chips, and with the ingredient add-ins the texture was perfect, I was happy!  My chips were crushed though and in little bits (cupboard abuse!).   I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to be sure it was as good as I think!  Wish me well and "pleasant dreams to me"...   :)

P.S.  I doubt I'll make it again if buying from a big chain grocery store, it was too stressful for me worrying about the tuna quality...but as an edit to this, the next day, this dish was even more delicious!