Salmon Poke

I was at a neighborhood sushi spot recently and one of the rolls was absolutely amazing: spicy and sweet and a bit crunchy.  It wasn't because of the roll though, it was the hawaiian-style salmon poke on top of the roll.  After chatting with the sushi chef and getting some tips on the ingredients, I think I nailed it pretty well with this recipe.  The key is to start with a very fresh, fatty piece of salmon.  My absolute favorite is Scottish Salmon.  If you live in Colorado you can get it at Tony's Meat Market or Marczyk's. If you live outside of Colorado you can order fresh Scottish Salmon fillet by the pound from Chef's Fresh Fish - an online seafood market. It will be delivered to your door the next day. It's the best salmon on earth...I promise.  Sushi-grade. Fatty. Clean-tasting. Buttery. Perfect!

Ingredients: 

-1/2 lb. fresh Scottish Salmon fillet

-2 Tbsp light mayo

-2 tsp sriracha (or more or less, depending on your heat tolerance)

-2 Tbsp unagi / eel sauce

-1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

-2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

-salt and pepper to taste

optional: 2-3 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs for crunch

The recipe is pretty easy. Chop and mix.  Dicing the salmon can look a bit intimidating, but don't even worry about cubing it too small. Large chunks will taste just as great.  Check out my three steps below:

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the 2 Tbsp light mayo and 2 tsp sriracha sauce.

Add the rest of the ingredients (other than the salmon) and stir until combined.

Gently mix in the salmon and garnish with another pinch of toasted sesame seeds and chives.  I've also sprinkled some panko bread crumbs on top for extra crunch. It was fabulous!

Serve immediately with chopsticks.  This will last a day or so in the fridge, but I find it's best served right after preparation!