So what IS a typical work lunch?
For some a burger, others a deli sandwich or a soup and salad, perhaps ? Lucky me, I work in a kitchen and this is what I typically eat at work: Ahi Tuna Poke, Kalua Pork and a cup of Thai Vegetable Curry Soup. I know it sounds complex, but this lunch is surprisingly easy to make.
Let’s start with the Tuna Poke.
Start by buying 1/2 pound of #1 or sushi-grade tuna. Your shopping bag should also include scallions, lime, sesame seeds, soy sauce, smoked salt and my special touch: unagi sauce and wakame ( seaweed salad ).
Unagi sauce is a Japanese condiment which is made by boiling roasted eel bones and mixing them with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar.
Wakame or seaweed salad is an edible type of seaweed which is typically salted and boxed in the frozen section of most Asian markets. The reason I use unagi and wakame is because poke has no ONE authentic recipe. So by adding a sweet element which I like, and a crunchy slightly tart element which contrasts all the soft ingredients, I feel one obtains a really unique and delicious product.
You’ll need two small disposable Tupperware containers – one for sauce and one for the chopped tuna. I prefer disposable Tupperware since none of us wants to lug around a smelly container all afternoon in the office and the commute home. Start with the sauce: mix the soy with a bit of unagi sauce and a squeeze of lime, stir and pack. Chop the tuna into bite size chunks along with the scallions and the wakame. Finally add the sesame seeds, lime zest and give it all a quick mix, pack.
Make sure you keep it all refrigerated until you are ready to eat and when it’s meal time, combine the sauce and the fish. Finally, season with a pinch of smoked salt which I believe sets off the citrusy, tart accents of the poke — and enjoy a taste of the islands at work.
Next post, Thai Vegetable Curry Soup…
