Seared Ahi Tuna
Originally uploaded by tony:oeb:frosty
After reading Thin Guy's post, I decided to give it a whirl. My wife had her doubts, telling me that Ahi Tuna was hard to cook and was usually too dry. I shrugged and said "we'll see."
For the marinade, I skipped the Wasabi and the Shichimi Togarashi since I didn't have any. Instead I added sea salt, fresh pepper and sesame oil. The tuna marinated overnight in a Tupperware container.
To cook, I pulled out my All-Clad and put it on high heat, adding olive oil to the pan. When the oil started to ripple, I placed the tuna in the pan. Commence searing - a couple of minutes is fine. The marinade will burn (turn your fan on!) but that's not a big deal. Flip over with some tongs and finish the other side. Remove the tuna and deglaze the pan with wine - I always have a cheap red or white on hand for this. A quick wipe and onto the second piece. Repeat. Deglaze again and make sure to get all the burnt marinade off. This will save you a lot of time and effort when cleaning the pan later.
For the dipping sauce I quickly whisked together some shoyu, honey, sesame oil and Aji Mirin. I then added some scallions.
I spend a few minutes plating the dishes and set the table. Plating goes a long way in setting the mood, and making the food visually appetizing. It's really not that much effort, but it goes a long way.
I pour my wife and I a nice Chardonnay, and await the judgment. I'm sweaty from the cooking and a little tense. She approves! She actually likes it. Yeah! Mission accomplished.
Thanks again to Thin Guy for the inspiration.
Note: Today I got from from the grocery store about 5:00pm. I was able to get dinner on the table by 5:45pm. Dinner included roasted asparagus and a nice salad (heirloom tomatoes, avocado, sweet peppers) So this really is a quick and delicious recipe.
