Tuna Poke Crackers
Photo: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Joni Noe
At his San Francisco restaurant Liholiho Yacht Club, chef Ravi Kapur uses sustainably fished, line-caught ahi for this iconic Hawaiian dish; salmon, cobia, albacore, or halibut would be good too. He spoons the poke onto crunchy crackers made of nori seaweed (this is our take on them), but you could also serve it on a platter, with store-bought rice crackers alongside.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “The Recipes You Should Be Cooking This July.”
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Make crackers: Pour enough vegetable oil into a 6-qt. pot to come at least 1 in. up sides. Heat over medium-high heat to 350° on an instant-read thermometer. While oil is heating, brush 6 nori sheets with beaten egg and top with remaining 6 sheets. Cut each in half. When oil is hot, fry 3 pieces nori at a time until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. With tongs, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Fry rest of nori the same way.
Step 2
2
Make aioli: In a blender, blend garlic, lemon juice, and yolks until well combined. Add salt and, with motor running, drizzle in 1 tbsp. cold water, followed by rice-bran oil in a thin stream. If it becomes very thick, add a few tbsp. cold water to make a loose, creamy sauce and to keep it from separating. Whirl in 1 tbsp. each Sriracha and tamari, taste, and add more if you like.
Step 3
3
Make poke: With a sharp knife, cut tuna into 1/4-in. dice and put in a large bowl. Drizzle with tamari and sesame oil. Gently mix with your hands and add more tamari and/or sesame oil to taste. Mix in green onions, ginger, and chile.
Step 4
4
Spoon poke onto crackers and top with a few drops of spicy aioli. Sprinkle with radishes, shiso, sprouts if using, and sesame seeds. Serve with more aioli on the side if you like.
Step 5
5
*Find dried nori seaweed on the international aisle of your grocery store, and shiso at Japanese and specialty produce markets. Tuna is among the safest of fish to eat raw--it's not prone to parasites--but buy it from a good market that knows how to handle it.
Step 6
6
Make ahead: Nori crackers, up to 1 day, stored airtight. Aioli, up to 2 days, chilled.
Step 7
7
Note: Nutritional analysis is per cracker.
Ingredients
NORI CRACKERS
Vegetable oil for frying
12 sheets (about 7 1/2 by 8 in.) nori*
1 egg, beaten with a fork
SPICY AIOLI
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
About 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup rice-bran oil
About 1 tbsp. Sriracha
About 1 tbsp. tamari
POKE
1 pound raw sushi /sashimi-grade ahi tuna, skinned and bloodline removed before weighing*
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. tamari
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced green onion (about 2 small)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeño chile
2 radishes, cut into matchsticks
3 tablespoons slivered shiso leaves* or 2 tbsp. slivered fresh mint leaves
Daikon radish sprouts (optional)
1/2 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
Directions
Step 1
1
Make crackers: Pour enough vegetable oil into a 6-qt. pot to come at least 1 in. up sides. Heat over medium-high heat to 350° on an instant-read thermometer. While oil is heating, brush 6 nori sheets with beaten egg and top with remaining 6 sheets. Cut each in half. When oil is hot, fry 3 pieces nori at a time until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. With tongs, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Fry rest of nori the same way.
Step 2
2
Make aioli: In a blender, blend garlic, lemon juice, and yolks until well combined. Add salt and, with motor running, drizzle in 1 tbsp. cold water, followed by rice-bran oil in a thin stream. If it becomes very thick, add a few tbsp. cold water to make a loose, creamy sauce and to keep it from separating. Whirl in 1 tbsp. each Sriracha and tamari, taste, and add more if you like.
Step 3
3
Make poke: With a sharp knife, cut tuna into 1/4-in. dice and put in a large bowl. Drizzle with tamari and sesame oil. Gently mix with your hands and add more tamari and/or sesame oil to taste. Mix in green onions, ginger, and chile.
Step 4
4
Spoon poke onto crackers and top with a few drops of spicy aioli. Sprinkle with radishes, shiso, sprouts if using, and sesame seeds. Serve with more aioli on the side if you like.
Step 5
5
*Find dried nori seaweed on the international aisle of your grocery store, and shiso at Japanese and specialty produce markets. Tuna is among the safest of fish to eat raw--it's not prone to parasites--but buy it from a good market that knows how to handle it.
Step 6
6
Make ahead: Nori crackers, up to 1 day, stored airtight. Aioli, up to 2 days, chilled.
Step 7
7
Note: Nutritional analysis is per cracker.
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