Poke & Ceviche Recipe

Prepare tuna

Keep tuna very cold. Trim away any sinew or skin and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/2"–3/4" cubes and place in a chilled bowl.

Make the poke dressing

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, grated ginger and optional chili oil or sriracha until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust: add a pinch more sugar if too salty or a little more soy if you want deeper saltiness.

Combine

Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the cubed tuna and gently fold to coat all pieces. Reserve the remaining dressing to drizzle when serving. Add the white parts of the sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, chopped macadamia nuts (if using) and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Fold gently to combine.

Marinate briefly

Let the dressed tuna sit in the refrigerator 5–10 minutes to absorb flavors. Do not marinate for longer than 30 minutes for best texture; poke should remain sashimi-like.

Finish

Just before serving stir in the green parts of the green onions and taste for seasoning. Adjust with a little more soy or salt if needed. Serve over steamed rice or on mixed greens, with the reserved dressing on the side.

Prepare seafood

If using raw shrimp: peel and devein, butterfly or slice into bite-size pieces. If using pre-cooked shrimp: chop into bite-size pieces and reduce lime cure time (see below). Cut the white fish into 1/2" cubes. Place fish and raw shrimp together in a non-reactive bowl.

Add citrus

Pour the fresh lime juice and lemon juice over the fish and shrimp until seafood is just submerged. Gently stir to separate pieces so all surfaces contact the citrus. For raw seafood, refrigerate and let cure: white fish 20–30 minutes; small shrimp 15–20 minutes — you want the seafood to turn opaque and firm. If using pre-cooked shrimp, only briefly toss (3–5 minutes) so they warm slightly but do not become rubbery; rely on citrus to flavor rather than cook.

Prep vegetables

While the seafood cures, finely dice the red onion, seed and dice the tomato, mince the jalapeño (remove seeds for milder heat) and dice cucumber if using. Chop cilantro.

Combine and season

Once the fish and shrimp are opaque and firm to your liking, drain off roughly half the citrus (reserve a little if you like wetter ceviche). Add the diced red onion, tomato, jalapeño, cucumber, cilantro, olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Gently toss to combine and taste: adjust salt, pepper, or lime if needed.

Rest and chill

Cover and refrigerate ceviche for at least 10 minutes to let flavors marry (longer — up to 1 hour — is fine for deeper flavor). Serve cold with tortilla or plantain chips, or spoon onto mixed greens. Garnish with lime wedges.

If serving both poke and ceviche together: portion steamed rice into bowls for poke (about 1 cup rice per 2 servings) and arrange a generous scoop of poke on one side. Place a small bowl or a separate plate with chilled ceviche alongside, or plate ceviche next to the poke with a small pile of chips. Garnish both with extra sesame seeds, chopped macadamia nuts, cilantro, green onion greens and lime wedges. Serve immediately.