A Favorite Luau Party Appetizer; Poke
A Favorite Luau Party Appetizer; Poke
Have you heard of poke? It is said to be one of the world’s favorite luau party appetizers. Poke, which is actually pronounced as “po-kay," is one of Hawaiian cuisine’s finest appetizers. It is a salad that is primarily composed of raw fish. Poke literally means "small piece" or "cut piece" in Hawaiian. It may also refer to a Hawaiian verb "slice" or "section." If you have not tried this dish but is interested to try a refreshing and delicious, not to mention, one of the Easy Appetizer Recipes out there, you should try out poke!
A traditional poke is served and prepared differently from the poke that we know today. The traditional one comprises a fish that is deboned, gutted, and skinned. It is served similarly like a fillet. Then, it is finished off by serving it with condiments such as seaweed, limu and sea salt.
In the course of the 19th century, tomatoes and onions were added to the ingredients of poke due to their rise in popularity at the time. On the other hand, the modern poke is usually composed of yellow fin tuna sashimi commonly known as "ahi." The ahi is marinated in sea salt mixed with sesame oil, limu seaweed, chili pepper, and roasted crushed candlenut. The ahi is then sliced into bite size pieces, thus its name "poke." Through time, there are also lot of varieties of the poke that were developed.
Some people may prefer to serve it using other types of fish like raw salmon and other kinds of sashimi fish. Others may also add in ingredients like octopus and other seafood. The poke version that we have come to love as of today became popular at around the 1970s. This was according to Rachel Laudan, a known food historian. This poke form still uses a skinned, deboned, and filleted raw fish that is paired with Wasabi and soy sauce. Cooking this kind of poke is still very common in the Hawaiian Islands.
How does one make great poke? Simply, the secret to a delicious poke is the kind and quality of ahi and the seasoning that it is paired with. An important thing to make sure when choosing ahi for your poke is to choose the fresh kind (this is generally done when choosing fish to ensure quality of taste). Freshness is one of the primary considerations when it comes to cooking. A lot of the great taste can be attributed to the freshness of the fish. Firstly, you should choose the ahi that is bright and shiny in color.
This should generally be of higher quality with as little stringiness as possible. Once you get to choose a suitable ahi, the best ones will definitely melt in your mouth. If you are not able to find fresh ahi, frozen ahi can be acceptable but remember this important thought: a mediocre but fresh ahi is better than the best frozen counterpart is. The condiments and seasoning should depend on a more subjective level.
The personal taste of a person is one of the major factors that influence the seasoning that he or she makes. Feel free to go out of the box and explore on different sauces and season it with ingredients that please your palate. Just bear in mind that the best condiment should just enhance the natural flavor of the ahi. It is an unsuccessful seasoning if its flavor overpowers that of the ahi; consistent and proper balance is the key to making a great poke.
The well known reputation of the poke can be rooted to a world renowned Island chef, Mr. Sam Choy. He even exclaims that poke is "Hawaii’s soul food." None of the locals argues with this since they agree that a party is never completed without the tasty poke. It is a fact that the poke has enchanted people from all over the world because of its refreshing flavor that it brings. New versions have come up thanks to seafood enthusiasts.
Did you know that there is even a festival that is celebrated and held every September to commemorate the poke? This event was started by master chef Sam Choy himself. Back in 1992, he launched the Poke Festival in the islands of Hawaii. At first, the festival only consisted of a simple poke recipe contest. Due to the poke’s growing reputation, it now includes cooking classes, tastings, and a golf tournament.
However, the poke recipe contest is still the main happening of the festival. The contest boasts of a $15,000 cash prize and is held at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel located on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast. If you are a newbie chef, do not worry. There is a different division for the amateur cooks and the professional chefs. So, you surely have a chance of bagging the grand prize. However, as they say, the experience is worth a lot more than the winning. However, who wouldn’t want to win right? Wow, poke is indeed one heck of a dish! Its popularity is as extreme as the flavor it brings.
Here are 3 versions of the poke that you could try out for the luau party that you are planning. All that you need to do is to only mix all the ingredients and then chill.
Luau Party Appetizers: Poke
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of onion (minced)
- 1 cup of soy sauce
- ¼ cup of green onion (minced)
- 4 cups of ahi (diced)
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Add in all the ingredients then chill.
- Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
- Then, chill before serving.
Luau Party Appetizers: Poke Variation
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of yellow onion (minced)
- 3 tablespoons of reddish brown seaweed
- 1-¼ pounds ahi (cut into bite size pieces)
- ¼ cup of green onion (minced)
- 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of ground innards from roasted kukui nuts
Directions:
- Add in all the ingredients then chill.
- Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
- Then, chill before serving.
All in all, no gathering would be complete without the delectable poke. Be it simple or fanciful get-togethers, poke successfully blends in to the theme of any party. It is one of the people’s favorite easy party appetizers. If you have not tried out this recipe, you are definitely behind in your career as a host!
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