TUNA POKE BOWLS WITH QUICK PICKLE AND FRIED TORTILLA STRIPS

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Asian|Seafood

Ingredients

Quick Pickled Cukes and Onions:

¾ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup water

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 small cucumber, very thinly sliced

1 small red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 tablespoon black and white sesame seeds

Poke:

2-pounds raw sushi grade tuna, chopped into ½” dice

2 avocados, chopped into ½” dice

⅓ cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped (plus more for garnish)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons wasabi paste

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds, toasted (plus 2 teaspoons for garnish)

Fried Tortilla Strips:

Vegetable oil for frying

6, 6” flour tortillas, cut into very thin strips

4 cups cooked sushi rice (1 ½ cups raw + 2 cups water + 1 teaspoon salt)

Lime wedges

Instructions

To make the quick pickle, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Place the cucumbers, onions, and sesame seeds in a large jar (I use an old Hellmann’s mayonnaise jar). Pour the hot pickling liquid over the top, cover tightly, and shake vigorously until everything is well combined and covered in liquid. As you prepare the rest of the ingredients, shake periodically to redistribute the ingredients.

To make the poke, combine the tuna, avocado, and cilantro in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a large jar and shake vigorously until emulsified. Pour about half of the dressing over the tuna mix and toss until everything is well coated. Add more of the dressing as desired for flavor and consistency. Store any extra dressing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Bring about 3” of vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a large saucepan. Drop the strips into the oil and fry, tossing with a spider or tongs until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

To serve, place about ½ cup of the rice and 1 cup of the poke in wide bowls. Top with about ½ cup of the picked cukes and onions. Top with some of the fried tortillas and garnish with cilantro leaves, lime wedges, and a sprinkle of the black and white sesame seeds.