Celebrity chef Alan Wong is known for creating award-winning Hawaiian cuisine. But his signature recipe is surprisingly easy to make. Here’s a look at Wong’s career and a breakdown of his delicious Minute Poke recipe.
Alan Wong could be the richest celebrity chef in the world
Wong is a Japanese-born Hawaiian chef who began his culinary career in the early 90s under celebrity chef Andre Soltner at New York’s famed French restaurant, Lucete. After returning to Hawaii and opening her first restaurant, Wong helped establish Regional Hawaiian Cuisine – an organization that promotes locally sourced Hawaiian foods and Hawaiian cuisine.
Wong rose to fame when he opened Alan Wong’s restaurant in Honolulu. The establishment has won dozens of accolades, including the James Beard Award for Best Chef for Wong and recognition as one of the nation’s top restaurants by various institutions. The chef has opened several other Alan Wong establishments around the world, including one in Shanghai and one at Tokyo Disneyland.
Wong is the author of two cookbooks — Alan Wong’s New Wave Luau and The Blue Tomato – The inspirations behind Alan Wong’s cooking. And as a favorite of former President Barack Obama, he was asked to create a luau feast for the 2009 White House Congressional Picnic.
In his 30 years as a chef, Wong has amassed a net worth of over $1 billion, as reported. Celebrity Net Worth. He is currently considered one of the richest chefs in the world.
Alan Wong’s Minute Poke recipe is quick and easy to make
In his 1999 book, The blue tomato, Wong reveals the recipe for his Minute Poke. And he noted that the name signifies how quickly the dish comes together at the table.
“Minute Poke is a name I made up,” he said via Hawaii magazine. “It’s a poke dish designed for the diner to mix at the table, so it pickles briefly just before being eaten – the poke can be eaten freshly made or prepared ahead of time.”
The Minute Poke recipe calls for sashimi-grade Ahi Tuna, topped with chopped spring onions and green onions. For his poke sauce, Wong combines soy sauce, oyster sauce, chopped ginger, sesame oil, inamona (ground kukui nuts) and an Indonesian chili paste called sambal oelek.
Once the Ahi and onions have been chopped and the sauce prepared, Wong suggests arranging the poke in a musubi mold in the center of a bowl or plate. It starts with a layer of onions at the bottom, adds the ahi in the middle, and tops it with a layer of green onions.
He suggests pressing the layers before removing the mold. A garnish of seaweed and Hawaiian salts is sprinkled around the plate. And the sauce can be served around the poke or served on the side. When the dish is served, it can be mixed with salt, sauce and seaweed to taste.
Alan Wong’s Chopped Vegetable Salad Recipe Also Requires Very Little Prep
Minute Poke isn’t the only easy recipe Wong has created. Her chopped vegetable salad is also surprisingly easy to make. And it takes very little preparation.
As detailed by Food and wine, dressing is done first. This requires mixing canola oil, sesame oil, sherry vinegar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, black bean salsa, lemon juice, minced garlic and green chilies with salt and pepper in a bowl. Once the mixture is combined, the snow peas are boiled for three minutes, then placed under cold running water before being patted dry with paper towels.
The same boiling process is repeated with beets, broccoli peas and green beans. Once all the vegetables are cooked until tender, cooled and patted dry, they are transferred to a large bowl. The vegetables are then tossed with baby lettuces, feta cheese and chopped Italian tomatoes.
The dressing is then drizzled over the salad. Wong says the salad can be refrigerated two days in advance. But he suggests serving it at room temperature.
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