Chips & Poke

Ingredients

• 227 g (½ lb)sushi-grade wild tuna
• 1 large (about 341 g)sweet potato
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml)safflower oil, grapeseed oil or olive oil
• 1 cup (about 70 g)chopped bok choy
• 1 cup (about 70 g)shredded purple cabbage
• ¼ cup (about 40 g)diced red onion or chopped spring onion
• 1 tablespoon (about 6 g)minced ginger or ginger paste
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml)reduced-salt soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml)toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml), or more to tasterice vinegar
• to tastefresh lime juice
• to tastediced red onion
• to tastefreshly chopped coriander
• to tastesesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the sweet potato

   Set the air fryer to 143–149°C (290–300°F); do not set it higher, as the slices may burn. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the sweet potato into thin rounds, about the thickness of a nickel.

2. 2

   Cook the chips

   Put the slices in a bowl, add the oil and mix with your hands so each slice gets a light coating. Arrange them on the air-fryer tray and cook for about 25 minutes, or longer if needed. Check every 8 minutes and shake the tray to stop the slices sticking together. Take them out when the edges are browned; they will firm up as they cool, so avoid leaving them in too long.

3. 3

   Prepare the salad

   Trim the base from the bok choy and chop it into pieces. Finely shred the cabbage, ideally with a mandoline, then combine it with the bok choy and set aside.

4. 4

   Mix the sauce

   Combine the sauce ingredients in a large bowl. With a very sharp knife, carefully cut the tuna into small cubes and set it aside.

5. 5

   Dress the tuna

   When the chips are ready, add the tuna to the sauce and gently fold to coat. Leave it to marinate for about 5 minutes. Spoon the tuna poke over the salad, add the garnishes and pour over the extra sauce. Serve the components together, or eat the poke with the chips first and the salad afterwards.

6. 6

   Serve and enjoy

   Serve straight away and enjoy.

What is poke?

Poke is a Hawaiian dish of seasoned, often raw, fish cut into bite-sized pieces. Its flavours and toppings can reflect wider Pacific and Asian influences, as they do here with soy, sesame, ginger and rice vinegar.

This version pairs the tuna with crunchy cabbage and bok choy, then adds thin sweet potato chips for a crisp alternative to a usual bowl base.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 222 calories, 28g protein, 7g carbs, 9g fat.

The sweet potato supplies most of the carbohydrate, while the tuna provides most of the protein. The oils contribute fat, with sesame oil carrying much of the dish's richness. For a more balanced plate, serve the poke with plenty of the cabbage and bok choy alongside the chips.

Choosing the tuna

Sushi-grade wild tuna: use fish sold for raw consumption and keep it chilled until you are ready to cut it. If you are unsure whether your tuna is suitable to eat raw, ask your fishmonger.

Getting crisp sweet potato chips

Even slices: cut the sweet potato as evenly and thinly as possible so the pieces cook at a similar rate. A mandoline can help, but use it carefully.

Low heat: the method specifies 143–149°C and checks the tray every 8 minutes. Remove the chips when their edges have browned; they continue to firm up as they cool.

Balancing the sauce

Soy and vinegar: soy sauce brings savouriness, while rice vinegar and lime add sharpness. Add more vinegar only as needed to soften the sauce's saltiness, as the recipe suggests.

Gentle mixing: fold the tuna through the sauce rather than stirring vigorously, so the cubes keep their shape.

Keeping the salad crunchy

Fine cabbage: shred it into thin strands so it is easy to eat with the tuna. Chop the bok choy into small pieces and combine the two just before setting the salad aside.

Dress near serving: the tuna marinates for about 5 minutes, and its sauce can be poured over the salad at the end. This keeps the vegetables from sitting in the dressing for longer than necessary.

How to serve it

Serve the chips alongside the tuna and salad so they stay crisp. You can scoop up tuna and vegetables with the chips, or eat the poke with the chips first and finish with the sauce-soaked salad.

Recipe notes & tips

• Keep the sweet potato slices thin and even for more consistent cooking.
• Shake the air-fryer tray every 8 minutes to help separate the slices.
• Take the chips out when the edges are browned because they firm up as they cool.
• Use a very sharp knife to cut the tuna into neat cubes.
• Taste the sauce before adding extra vinegar or lime.
• Add the garnishes just before serving.

Variations

• Use spring onion: replace the diced red onion in the sauce with chopped spring onion.
• Change the cooking oil: use grapeseed oil or olive oil instead of safflower oil.
• Swap the soy sauce: use Bragg Liquid Aminos as the alternative listed in the recipe.
• Add more lime: squeeze in extra fresh lime juice to taste.
• Serve separately: keep the chips, tuna and salad apart until eating to preserve the chips' crispness.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Slicing unevenly: thicker pieces take longer to crisp; aim for uniform, thin rounds.
• Setting the air fryer too hot: the chips can burn; stay within 143–149°C.
• Skipping tray checks: slices may stick together; shake the tray every 8 minutes.
• Overcooking the chips: they firm as they cool; remove them once their edges are browned.
• Mixing the tuna roughly: the cubes can break up; fold them gently through the sauce.
• Leaving the tuna warm: keep it chilled until preparation and serve promptly after marinating.

How to store

For the best texture, eat the tuna and chips freshly made. Refrigerate leftover tuna and salad promptly in a covered container and use within 1 day; keep the chips separate, as they will soften. Reheat the chips briefly in the air fryer, and do not reheat the raw tuna.

Frequently asked questions