Poke (pronounced poh-kay) has exploded in popularity, even my two horse town of Bryan, Texas has THREE poke places. It hails from Hawaii, but has strong Japanese influences. If you are a vegetarian poke might be woefully out of reach as it is traditionally made with seafood until now!
The black garlic replaces the umami that the meat would provide and balances out the sweetness of the watermelon. If you are a carnivore this marinade works great for salmon, tuna, chicken, beef and pork.
Watermelon Poke
INGREDIENTS
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3 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup black garlic cloves
1⁄2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1⁄4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 scallions, white and pale-green parts, thinly sliced
crispy fried red onion, garnish (available in any Asian market)
crispy fried garlic, garnish (available in any Asian market)
RECIPE PREPARATION
1. Dice watermelon into evenly sized cubes and add to a bowl.
2. Blend black garlic cloves, rice vinegar, oil, soy sauce, lime juice, tahini, agave nectar and salt in a blender until smooth.
3. Pour marinade over watermelon and fold to coat. Let sit 5 minutes.
4. Remove watermelon from marinade and cook in a large non stick skillet until dry (bout 10 minutes).
5. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until marinade is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Allow to cool completely.
6. Gently toss watermelon and marinade together.
7. Serve over a bowl of seaweed salad, edamame, carrot, bean sprouts, and/or rice! Garnish with sesame seeds, fried onion and garlic.
