Sesame-Crusted Tuna

This recipe comes from a new magazine I have found from the BBC called 'Olive'. At the Barnes and Noble in Augusta Maine, they have a fabulous magazine section and this was one of my finds.
I cannot express how extra yummy and easy this recipe is. I serve it with either Brocolini sauted in olive oil and garlic or better, I open up a tin of Butter Beans, heat and voila. Sometimes I mash em a little and drizzle them with some extra virgin as opposed to that lesser virgin.

Mixed black and white sesame seeds (black sesame seeds are available in Asian or Indian super markets).
freshly ground black peppercorns about 2 tsp.
sea salt about 1 tsp
tuna 2 - 8 oz. pieces or 500g

Salad: This part is just frou frou dressing, you can do it or skip it:
cucumber cut into matchsticks
spring onions (scallions) 1 bunch cut into matchsticks
fresh coriander (cilantro) 1 bunch roughly chopped
kaffir lime leaf 1-thinly sliced (also available in Asian markets and they freeze very well for later use)
juice of 1 lime (sometimes I use 2)
1 chili pepper red or green, seeded and cut into matchsticks

Dressing:
wasabi paste 1/2 tsp
rice wine vinegar 3 TBS
mirin 100ml
soy sauce 100ml
sesame oil 1 TBS (preferably low sodium)

Mix together sesame seeds, pepper and salt and spread on a flat plate. Firmly roll the tuna in the mix to coat the outside with seeds. Heat a non-stick pan over a high heat until very hot, then sear the tuna on each side for 20 seconds up to 2 minutes it all depends on your stove and how hot you can get it; you only want to cook it a little way through so it remains raw in the center. Remove from the pan and let it rest a few minutes. Slice.

Toss all the salad together
For the dressing, mix together the wasabi and rice vinegar until well blended, then stir in mirin, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Arrange slices of tuna on the plate, top with some salad and drizzle dressing over everything.

Comments

[mr mcmuffin]

I get Olive too. Great magazine, filled with delicious food.