This recipe is from Chef Alan Wong’s, new cookbook “The Blue Tomato”. Alan Wong is a chef and restauranteur and one of the 12 founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine. He has several restaurants in Hawaii as well as one in Japan, that are not to be missed. Wong is known for his use of fresh ingredients, his creativity and innovations. We made this as an entree for a ladies luncheon and it received rave reviews. The first course for that lunch was our Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp. Please see our recent review on Alan Wong’s Honolulu.
Stacks are fun and easy to assemble & garnish.
Position a 3 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ ring mold (We used PVC couplers that we purchased at the hardware store; as they are already cut close to size), on a serving plate. Several stacks can be made ahead on a baking sheet using individually cut parchment paper larger than the mold, to later transport to a serving plate, where the parchment can be easily removed.
Spread a small amount of Avocado Salsa to serve as a base to prevent the won ton layer from sliding.
Place won ton strips at the bottom and gently press down.
Place Avocado Salsa on top, smoothing it out using the back of a spoon.
Fill the remainder of the mold with Ahi Poke and smooth the top.
Spoon 1/2 tsp of Sambal Aioli in the center of the ahi. Garnish with micro basil and an edible flower. If you can’t find micro basil, sliced green onion may be substituted as a garnish. Using a squeeze bottle, make graduated dots of Wasabi Soy from large to small around the stack.
Ahi Poke Stack with Avocado Salsa
Sambal Oelek is a full bodied sauce with the pure taste of chilies, made by Huy Fong Foods and readily available in the Asian section of the grocery store.
This recipe yields only two stacks, however it can be easily increased to make as many as you need. You can use different sized PVC or metal ring molds to yield smaller appetizer stacks or larger entree stacks.
- Yield: 2 stacks 1x
Ingredients
Crispy Won Ton Wrappers
- 5 Wonton Wrappers
- Canola Oil for deep frying
Ahi Poke
- 8 oz sashimi-grade ahi
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 T thinly sliced green onion
- 1 tsp Sambal Oelek sauce
Avocado Salsa
- 2 small ripe avocados (approx 7oz ea)
- 1/4 C small diced round onion
- 1/4 C small diced tomato
- 1T roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 T Sambal Oelek sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp Sake (optional)
Sambal Aioli
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 T Sambal Oelek sauce
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 C canola oil
- Kosher salt
Wasabi Soy
- 1 C hot water
- 1/2 C soy sauce
- 5 TB wasabi powder
- 1/4 tsp of corn startch
Garnish
- Basil Micro Greens
- Edible Flowers
Instructions
Crispy Won Ton Wrappers
- Cut won ton wrappers into 1/8″ strips. In a saucepan, heat 3-4″ of oil to 350F degrees. Place a small handful of won ton strips in the canola oil and fry until light golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue to fry the remaining strips and cool.
Ahi Poke
- Cut the ahi into 1/4-1/3″ cubes. Season with salt. Add sesame oil and mix to coat well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Avocado Salsa
- Cut the avocados into 1/4″ cubes. Sprinkle the avocado with salt, then lime juice. Add remaining ingredients and gently stir; do not mash. Makes 2 C.
Sambal Aioli
- Combine the egg, egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, sambal oelek, and garlic in a blender. Turn the blender on and slowly drizzle in the oil until well incorporated. Season with salt to taste.
Wasabi Soy
- Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk together until smooth. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool. Put in a squeeze bottle and set aside for garnish. (yields 1-1/4 C)
Assembly & Garnish
- Position a 3 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ ring mold (We used PVC couplers that we purchased at the hardware store; as they are already cut close to size), on a serving plate. Several stacks can be made ahead on a baking sheet using individually cut parchment paper larger than the mold, to later transport to a serving plate, where the parchment can be easily removed.
- Spread a small amount of Avocado Salsa to serve as a base to prevent the won ton layer from sliding.
- Place won ton strips at the bottom and gently press down.
- Place Avocado Salsa on top, smoothing it out using the back of a spoon.
- Fill the remainder of the mold with Ahi Poke and smooth the top.
- Spoon 1/2 tsp of Sambal Aioli in the center of the ahi. Garnish with micro basil and an edible flower. If you can’t find micro basil, sliced green onion may be substituted as a garnish. Using a squeeze bottle, make graduated dots of Wasabi Soy from large to small around the stack.
Notes
Adapted From | Alan Wong-The Blue Tomato
Gorgeous and a perfect summer starter.
Two questions: is “wasabi soy” a bottled product or just a combo you mix up? Do you oil the inside of the pvc coupler? Thanks!
Hi Susan,
Thanks for the great comment, this was a big hit! We did not oil the PVC mold. It really isn’t necessary the trick is finding something that you can use as a tool to push the stack through the mold. We cut a cardboard circle slightly smaller than the mold and wrapped it in foil and it worked great. As for the Wasabi Soy, we added the recipe to the Ahi Poke Stack post. The corn starch is necessary to thicken the sauce so that you can create the dots on the plate and keep them in place. Let us know how it works out for you. Alan Wong is an amazing chef and a true innovator and we really enjoy experimenting with his dishes.
This is a must make! not only is it delicious, it is beautiful.