This Poke recipe is a fantastic Hawaiian dish that is made with kampachi, typically it is made with tuna.
The poke is seasoned well with soy, spices and sesame. Poke is found all over the islands, it is a quick and delicious meal that you can pick up almost at any grocery.
Here is a recipe I decided to make for a lunch meeting with the owners of the huge produce corporation sunset . I really didn’t know who all was coming but I was a little shocked when 10 individuals showed up and they were all young and pretty.
The downfall, from a cooking standpoint, was that there was more women than men. I say that because this was the first course and it is raw fish. I know from several women close to me including my wife that they don’t really like raw fish. The upside was that in this case the majority of everyone loved this dish. The thought process was trying to use the butternut squash and the kampachi together to make a delicious dish. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it!
Kampachi Poke with Butternut Squash Variations
Kampachi Tartare or Poke
- 8 oz small diced kampachi
- 3 tbsp chopped green onion
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp sansho pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp nori komi furikake
- 1/2 large avocado small diced
Butternut Squash (2 whole butternut squash for the variations below)
Pickled Butternut Squash
- 30 sliced 2 inch rounds of butternut squash (1/8 inch thick)
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- salt to taste
Butternut Squash Puree
- 3 cups butternut squash medium diced
- 4 tbsp miso
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
Butternut Squash Sauce
- 1 kampachi carcass
- 1 each onion and carrot chopped
- 1 finger ginger root sliced
- 4 cups butternut squash scrapes
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 10 cups water
- 1 lime
- 2 bay leaves
Garnishes
- 4 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
- 1 edible flowers
How to pickle butternut squash
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Peel a whole butternut squash. Cut way the bottom round with seeds. Make 2 round 1 inch slices of butternut squash. Use the rest of the butternut for other parts of this recipe. Take a small round cookie cutter and cut perfect circular disks out of the 2 round larger slices. Take the cookie cutter rounds and slice thin on a mandolin. Place the slices in a bowl. In small pot add vinegar and soy. Bring to a boil and then pour over the slices in the bowl they are resting in. Season with salt and allow to cool to room temperature.
How to make butternut squash puree
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Two ways of making this puree. First, is take 3 cups of butternut squash and place in a pot of boiling salted water. Cook for 7-10 minutes until completely tender. Strain off all the water completely. Then place in a vitamix with miso, butter, and salt. The second way is to take and cut a whole butternut in half lengthwise. Discard the seeds, and roast in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Take out and let it cool briefly. Then scoop out the pulp and puree with the rest of the ingredients.
I placed mine in a squirt bottle so it was easy to plate.
How to make the butternut squash sauce
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Take the whole fish carcasses and rinse well under cold water to rid of any blood ( blood will turn your stock cloudy). Then place in a pot with the rest of the ingredients except for the squash and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and reduce by at least half. Add the squash and cook for another 30 minutes until the squash is completely soft. Being careful not to get any of the fish bones, Scoop out the broth with the butternut squash and place in a vitamix. You should have enough for 4 cups of sauce or more. Puree until smooth. This should have an squash/soy/fish flavor. Season with lime juice and salt. Set aside and keep warm.
How to make kampachi tartare
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In a small mixing bowl add all the ingredients of the tartar, mix well, season, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
To Finish
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Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop 3 balls of tartar on each plate. Take a slice of pickled butternut on top of each ball of kampachi. Take the butternut-miso puree and make 3 dots next to the kampachi. Place edible flowers on top. Ladle the squash sauce in the middle and drizzle pumpkin oil around. Serve and enjoy!
