While at the store the other day looking for something we could cook quickly, a glorious looking Tuna Steak called out to me! After getting it home in its distinctive seafood paper wrapper, I started thinking about how I wanted to impart flavour. Normally, when we make Seared Tuna, we rely on Asian flavours because they make such a perfect pairing. Given our own propensity, we thought about trying something from a different cultural category…but in the end, we chickened out and went with a (different from prior) Asian flavour profile.
We started by coating our tuna in sesame seeds before giving it a good sear on all sides. Then, we built a glaze out of lemongrass, honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar so that we’d have a balance of sweet, tangy, and salty with a bit of a citrusy zing. Fortuitously, everything worked really well together! Then, we paired our tuna with Spicy Sesame Broccoli!
Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Tuna Steak
- Sesame Seeds
- Salt
- Lemongrass Paste (or pureed lemongrass)
- Honey
- Rice Vinegar
- Soy Sauce
Method:
- Pat your tuna steak dry, and give it a little salt sprinkle on both sides.
- Pour some sesame seeds in a bowl, and then press your tuna steak onto them so they coat your fish. Flip, and encrust the other side as well.
- Combine your lemongrass paste, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a saucepan.
- As your glaze cooks, heat a little oil in a cast iron pan. When your pan is hot, add your tuna, and sear for a few minutes on each side. Once you’ve got a good sear, use tongs to hold your tuna upright to sear the edges of your fish.
- As your fish sears, simmer your glaze over low heat to thicken, and whisk occasionally.
- Once your fish is totally seared, and your glaze is ready, remove your tuna from the pan, and slice it on a cutting board.
- Plate, glaze, devour, and enjoy!
