When I plan our meals, I prefer recipes that serve four. The leftovers get thrown in tupperware to make lunch the next day a breeze. When making seafood, though, I only cook for two. Mostly because fresh local fish is too expensive to be eaten as a weekday lunch, but also because it doesn't keep very well.
So a sushi-grade tuna steak is a special treat reserved for nights when Lucas doesn't need lunch the next day (or doesn't mind a frozen burrito). Catching a red-eye to Taiwan Monday night qualifies as one of those occasions. Note: Lucas was in Taiwan last week. Yes, I'm over a week behind with posting, but I'll catch up soon since I survived on only leftover stuffed peppers and Skinny Cow ice cream bars while he was gone.
With summer bringing sunlight and (occasional) warmth until 8pm, light refreshing dishes are in order. Unlike a comforting pot roast or stew, a slightly seared slice of tuna dipped in citrus soy sauce screams summertime.
This slightly seared tuna satisfies similar cravings to my sushi cravings. Come to think of it, the outer sear might be enough to make this tuna the perfect hybrid to convince my parents to eat and love raw fish as much as my brother and I do. With a light chill from the fish and a tang from the orange, each bite bursts of freshness. A little crunch from the sesame seed crust compliments the texture of the soft interior, adding complexity to an already outstanding piece of meat. If it didn't break the bank, we'd eat this dish at least once a week and life would be grand.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 teaspoons white miso
- 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Whisk until the miso dissolves. Serve with seared tuna.
- ¾ to 1 lb sushi grade yellowfin tuna
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the tuna into 2-3 rectangular pieces.
- Mix the sesame seeds together on a plate.
- Press the tuna into the sesame seeds on all sides.
- Heat canola oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Sear the tuna for 20 seconds on each side, then transfer to a paper towel to drain. Let rest a couple of minutes.
- Slice into ¼-thick pieces and serve with orange ginger dipping sauce.
AvocadoPesto -
Gorgeous photo and absolutely looooove this recipe! Will definitely make this the next time I get my hands on sushi grade tuna!
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks! It's so delicious - if you have a seafood market nearby, ask them if they have sushi grade tuna (mine has all sushi-grade fish, they say).
kat -
Beautiful photo!!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you - practicing with the new camera...still don't know what all these fancy buttons do. haha.
cmahieu -
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I have been wanting to make since I went on holidays in Florida in April this year... Impossible to find it in restaurants here in Belgium. Now I can finally make my own. I'll pair it with the key lime pie I recently made and posted on my blog.
Sarah Menanix -
Yum! Key lime pie sounds refreshing too - perfect pairing!
Emilie Bell -
Ooooh goodness! This looks to die for! I might have to run down to our seafood market tonight...
Sarah Menanix -
I feel so lucky to have easy access to fresh seafood in the Bay Area. And you too - I just had some amazing seafood in Boston! Yumm...now I'm hungry.
The Café Sucré Farine -
Beautiful! Looks fabulously delicious!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you:)
The Squishy Monster -
this has GOT to be the best way to eat Tuna...YUM!!
Sarah Menanix -
I agree - I much prefer raw or only lightly seared fresh tuna to the fully cooked kind!
RecipeNewZ (@RecipeNewZ) -
This is a wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing it on RecipeNewZ! It was very popular, and as such was featured on our new Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/RecipeNewZ. Congrats!
Sarah Menanix -
Oh thank you so much! :)
Rosemary McElroy -
Who did your web page? Everything about this is beautiful. I love your style, photography and the layout. I am in love with this site! I will have to try this recipe {looks to-die for)
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much - oh that means so much to me since we just launched the new site! My boyfriend and I designed the site and he built the wordpress theme from scratch - I'm a lucky girl:) Let me know if you try the tuna!
Kathy Steger @FoodWineThyme -
i am salivating just by looking at this. I want, i want, i want
Theresa -
So good! If I could afford it, I would eat this at least once a week. I just had some today and I already want to make it again.
Shannon Gilkey -
This recipe looks so good! I have been wanting to try making my own sushi for a while now, I think you've finally convinced me to do it! I wanted to let you know that I came across this pinned on Pinterest and I featured it on my blog this week as one of my "Pins of the Week." Thank you so much for sharing! I can't wait to try it!
Shannon
Crissy -
This is one of the most beautiful photos of seared tuna I have ever seen! Wow, can't wait to try this. Thanks for the recipe and amazing photos.
Orrin Ahola -
I enjoyed the flavors (thanks) but was disappointed by the consistency of the sauce. I found it to be quite watery. Thus it did not cling at all the tasty bites of tuna but instead dripped all over the plate co-mingling with the sides in an uninvited fashion. I guess in my mind I pictured something with a bit of a glaze nature to it, maybe the thickness of hoisin? I will figure out a workaround for next time. Again though, the flavor was excellent.
Sarah Menanix -
I'm so sorry that the sauce wasn't what you were looking for! This was meant as a dipping sauce like soy sauce for sushi that you dip into just before eating, so it's a thin sauce. I think you could try heating it and thickening it with some corn starch if you want more of a thick sauce option next time!
Gerri -
I am wondering if this recipe will taste good if I don't use the white miso? I can't locate at the store. Or is there a substitute I can use?
Sarah Menanix -
I've never made the sauce without the miso, but the flavors should still work together! I'd just add some more soy sauce in its place, or else the next best substitute to white miso would be yellow miso as it is also more mild in flavor. And if case it helps, generally you can find miso in the refrigerated section near the produce at major grocery stores.
Squash Lady -
Just wanted to let you know that I've been making this dish for over seven years now, and that I love you.
Sarah Menanix -
Well, this escalated quickly hehe. I love you too.