Poke (“to slice” or “cut crosswise into pieces”) was originally prepared by native Hawaiians, using raw tuna or octopus seasoned with sea salt, seaweed, and crushed candlenuts. Its evolution can be traced to new arrivals on the islands with sailors from the West coast bringing salmon, and immigrants from China and Japan introducing soy sauce and sesame oil. Since 2012, the dish has become increasingly popular with modern variations of it now widely available across North America and Western Europe.

Below is one version of the dish using ingredients that can be sourced locally on Haida Gwaii in the fall. Any of the ingredients below that cannot be grown or gathered on Haida Gwaii, should be available for purchase at the HG Co-op, with the beauty of poke being that it can be adapted and modified to suit the ingredients available. In other words, if the HG Co-op does not have something in stock, do not fret, you can still throw together a delicious dish!

Ingredients: 3-4 cups of cooked, short-grain rice / 2-3 lb cured and marinated salmon / spicy mayo

Topping options: spinach, edamame beans, julienned carrots, pickled ginger, sliced avocado, diced cucumber, pineapple, dried seaweed, corn, thinly sliced green onions, cilantro, crispy fried onions, and roasted sesame seeds (black and/or white).

Gravlax Style Cured Salmon: 9” x 12” baking dish / 2 – 3 lb raw, de-boned salmon filets / ⅓ cup sugar (raw preferred) / ⅓ cup kosher salt / plastic cling wrap.

Combine salt and sugar in a bowl. Cover bottom of baking dish with half of the sugar and salt mixture. Place salmon filets skin side down on the baking dish and rub with remaining salt and sugar. Cover fish snugly with plastic cling wrap making sure to minimize any air gaps. Weigh filets down evenly with a smaller baking dish or any other object of similar size/weight. Place in fridge. After 12 hours drain water into sink. Place back in fridge for another 12 hours. Cured fish can be frozen for future use, or if being used immediately, rinse and pat dry. Note: salmon can be cured for 1-2 days longer if desired. This results in a firmer and saltier fish.

Salmon Marinade: ¼ cup minced yellow onion / 2 green onions, thinly sliced / 3 tbsp soy sauce / 1 tbsp sesame oil / small squeeze sriracha sauce / 1 clove garlic, grated / 2-3 lb cubed cured salmon.

In a medium sized bowl, combine yellow and green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and garlic. Add cubed salmon and mix well. Cover and place in fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Spicy Mayo: 2/3 cup (150 g) mayo (Japanese Kewpie style if available) / 1 tbsp (20 g) sriracha sauce / 2 tsp (12 g) gochujang sauce (use sriracha if unavailable) / 1 tbsp (9 g) chili oil solids (use chilli pepper flakes if unavailable) / 1 green onion thinly sliced / couple drops sesame oil / salt to taste.

Add mayo, sriracha and gochujang sauces, chili oil solids, green onion, sesame oil, and salt to a medium sized bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside or store in a squeeze bottle for convenience. Sauce keeps well refrigerated for up to a week.

To serve: Assemble your bowl by creating a bed of rice, spinach or both! Cover with salmon and a selection of any or all of the above listed toppings. Complete with a drizzling of spicy mayo and a sprinkling of sesame seeds and/or crispy fried onions! Enjoy!

To submit a recipe for the next issue of Haida Gwaii Eats, please email Kaila, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Haawa, háw’aa!