Time For Tuna!

 

  

 

We're having tuna steaks today.  I'm going to sear them and then serve them with an Asian-inspired sauce along with a cucumber and radish salad, the coolness of which perfectly complements the fish.

    We need a bit of crispiness - in the form of fried tortilla strips.  If you had wontons instead of tortillas, even better, since they're lighter and would go quite well with everything else on the plate.

Slice your tortillas

or wontons, 

if you have them,

into 1/4" strips.

Fry in 350° oil until golden brown.

Drain and salt.

Now I have something to munch on to maintain my strength whilst I prepare the meal.

 

For the sauce:

2 TB brown sugar

2 TB soy sauce

1 TB mirin

1 TB rice vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 TB ginger juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup fresh orange juice 

Whenever I need ginger juice, I have it at the ready.  I buy whole ginger root, then slice it into cubes and freeze it.  This way I have ginger whenever I need it.  It is virtually impossible to get ginger juice from fresh ginger, but it's quite easy to get it from the frozen cubes.  Simply nuke a couple frozen cubes of ginger root for 20 seconds or so and you can squeeze it by hand or use a garlic press.  OR... you can buy a bottle of ginger juice at the store.  

Mix all ingredients.  Stir until brown sugar is dissolved.

And the sauce is ready.

 

Now, for the  fresh cucumber salad:

Cucumber Salad

1/4 cup diced cucumber

 1 radish, diced

1 TB jalapeno, minced

2 TB red onion, diced

1 TB orange zest

1 tsp sugar

1 TB rice vinegar

Combine all ingredients. 

 

Mix well.

More toppings:

Toast some sesame seeds.

Chop some cilantro.

 

Everything is ready.

Clockwise from top left:

cucumber salad

toasted sesame seeds

chopped cilantro

chopped orange zest

sauce for tuna

Now, for the tuna:

 

I have a thin film

of oil in my

cast iron skillet.

And I added 

a plop of butter.

About 400°.

Steaks are

about 1 1/2" thick.

Tuna in.

About 3 minutes on first side.

Grind some 

pepper on it.

About 2 minutes 

on 2nd side.

 

And plate.

I poured the sauce over top of the tuna, sprinkled it with chopped cilantro, orange zest, and sesame seeds.  If you're not in the  cilantro camp, use parsley.  Add some of the cucumber salad on the side.  For the fried tortilla, or wonton, strips, I have some dots of sriracha and wasabi.

Enjoy.