Unlock the secret to restaurant-worthy poke bowls

Unlock the secret to crafting restaurant-worthy poke bowls in your own kitchen and get ready to impress everyone, including yourself.

A poke bowl is a Hawaiian dish, inspired by Japanese cuisine, that traditionally features sliced or diced raw fish marinated in sauces. Like sushi, it is traditionally served cold and includes a base of rice topped with a variety of fresh, flavorful toppings.

Living in the Midwest, I typically use salmon for this recipe because fresh, high-quality salmon is more readily available to me here than the more traditional tuna. In this guide, we're going to master the art of the poke bowl, revealing how to achieve that delightful harmony of exquisitely tender salmon, a dazzling array of crisp toppings, and flawlessly seasoned rice. Prepare to transform your meals and captivate your senses with this iconic and refreshing creation.

Preparation of this meal starts with cooking your sushi rice, which can also be substituted with regular rice. First, thoroughly rinse two cups of sushi rice under cold water and place it in your rice cooker or pot. Add the water and briefly stir, cover and cook until done.

If using a rice cooker, refrain from stirring or opening it during the process, as it will typically shut off automatically. When cooking in a pot, simmer the rice covered on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the water is absorbed; taste to confirm it's cooked through. Add a little more water if more cooking time is required.

Once ready, remove the rice from the heat and gently mix in the white rice vinegar, granulated sugar, salt and a pinch of ground pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, then set the rice aside. It's generally best to let the rice cool to room temperature or serve it slightly warm for your poke bowl, though ultimately, the choice is yours.

While the rice is cooling, begin with the fish preparation. First, create a flavorful brushing mixture by combining the white rice vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, ground ginger, pepper and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir these ingredients thoroughly for about 30 seconds until they are fully combined.

Next, you must properly rinse the fish fillets under cold water. After rinsing, place the fish on a cutting board and cut into thin slices or dice into pieces approximately 1/2- to 3/4-inch in size. Then, generously brush the prepared fish with the mixture directly on the cutting board. Alternatively, you can place the fish slices into the bowl with the brushing mixture and gently stir them with a silicone spatula, though brushing is a gentler method. Once coated, set the fish aside to marinate at room temperature while you complete the remaining steps of the recipe.

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Next, prepare the garnishes. You have the flexibility to follow all the recommendations below, add your own favorite garnishes or omit any you don't prefer.

For the avocado, cut it in half around the pit, twist to separate the halves, remove and discard the pit by hand, use a soup spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin, and then slice each half. For the cucumber, thoroughly clean under cold water and then cut into thin slices, leaving the skin on. To prepare the mukimame, place the frozen mukimame into a bowl, pour hot water over it, let it sit for a few minutes to defrost and then drain using a colander. For the mango, carefully cut around its wider diameter, separate into two halves and remove the pit; then, carefully make a crisscross cut in each half without cutting through the skin, invert the halves and cut the dice from the skin. Finally, for the green onion, thoroughly clean them under cold water, cut off and dispose of the root part, and then cut them into thin slices.

Before you begin assembling your dish, there's one final preparation step: making the popular spicy mayo. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, salt and pepper. Whisk these ingredients together vigorously for about 30 seconds, ensuring they are fully incorporated, and the mixture is smooth. Once combined, taste the spicy mayo and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed to suit your preference.

After you're satisfied with the taste, set the spicy mayo aside for a later step. For easier and neater plating, it's optimal to transfer the spicy mayo into a squeeze bottle if you have one, or to a pastry bag or freezer bag with a corner cut off.

The final part of your preparation is the assembly. It's important to serve this dish in four large mixing bowls, making sure to equally distribute the total amount of all ingredients between each of the four bowls. To assemble, first place and distribute the prepared rice evenly over the entire bottom of each bowl. Next, add the marinated salmon slices, followed by the avocado slices. Then, add the sliced English cucumber, mukimame and diced mango to each bowl.

To finish, sprinkle each bowl with sliced green onion, white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds. The very last step is to drizzle your assembled creation with the spicy mayo you prepared earlier.

Tom Slepicka is the founder of www.cookinghub.com, and is a recipe creator, culinary instructor, chef, and a consultant. You can reach him at tom@cookinghub.com.