Blanket Session Ahi Poke Bowl

Served up by LANI, the Stewardess with all the world’s recipes.

Prep: 20 min · Chill: 15 min · Serves: 4

Why surfers love it: After a long session in the sun you want something cold, fresh and full of protein, not heavy. Poke comes together in minutes with no stove, and the rice refuels you.

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb sushi-grade (sashimi-grade) ahi tuna, kept very cold
• ¼ cup soy sauce (or shoyu)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp honey
• ½ small sweet onion (Maui or Vidalia), thinly sliced
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more to finish
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• To serve: 4 cups cooked white or brown rice, 1 avocado (cubed), 1 small cucumber (diced), extra nori strips

Method

1. Pat the tuna dry and cut it into ¾-inch cubes with a sharp knife on a clean board. Keep it in a bowl set over ice while you work.
2. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey and pepper flakes in a small bowl.
3. Add the sweet onion, green onions and sesame seeds to the tuna. Pour on the sauce and fold gently until every piece is coated.
4. Cover and chill 15 minutes, but no longer than a couple of hours, so the fish stays firm.
5. Divide the rice among four bowls. Top with the poke, avocado and cucumber.
6. Finish with more sesame seeds and nori strips and eat right away.

Tip: Buy the fish the day you make this, from a counter that sells it for eating raw, and tell them it's for poke. If you'd rather not eat raw fish, sear the cubes 30 seconds in a hot pan or swap in cooked shrimp. Raw fish isn't recommended for pregnant women, young kids or anyone with a weak immune system.

Surf-town roots

In the islands, poke is as everyday as it gets: grab a scoop from the fish counter, find a spot on the sand and eat it with your hair still wet. This is our home version of that beach-blanket lunch.