Borrowed Friday: Seared Ahi Tuna

TGIF.  It means it’s time to share another of our favorite blogger recipes from around the ‘net.  But first, a quick story about why I went this route today…

First, my friend Drew (whom I met while out filming Masterchef) posted this picture on his Facebook account this week, and started me drooling for tuna.

Then, on Wednesday this week, my wife called me and said my daughter had a question for me.  Mind you, this is the same daughter who, just a few short months ago, could say about 4 words: mama, dada, bebe and babba.  Not that she couldn’t talk, she just said babba for everything.  It was really cute, actually.

Anyhow, when she got on the phone, she said, verbatim, “Dada?  Bebe, yaya, mama, dada… Bebe Hon’s?  Eat?  Plee?”  Translation:  “Dad, can me, Yaya, mom and you go to Buck & Honey’s to eat, please?”  (Buck & Honey’s is a local restaurant, and when we first discovered it, she called it Bebe Hon’s).  How can you resist a two-year old asking to go out for dinner?  You just can’t.  So we did, and I tried their Seared Ahi Tuna Salad after discovering that the scallops in the pasta dish were not from New Zealand, which I am partial to.  I enjoyed the dinner (and will be posting my review of the restaurant soon), so I wanted to share the technique for such a simple dish.  Fresh Ahi (also known as Yellowfin) tuna is not cheap, and you must buy good sushi-grade fish, as you’re leaving the inside raw.  But a little bit can go a long way.

Today’s borrow comes from Life Tastes Like Food, a blog by a young woman in California named Stephanie.  As I do with every blog I come across, I immediately read the About section to see if there are any similarities, and she posted this “…there is a personal connection through food to life and that you can contribute many concepts from cooking and baking into life’s everyday lessons.”  We completely agree here at Cathartic Cuisine.

You can read the full post from Stephanie here, as she does a very nice job of breaking down a simple sear for Ahi Tuna.

Ahi Tuna courtesy LifeTastesLikeFood.com

Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna

1/2 lb sushi-grade Ahi tuna steak
2 Tbsp black sesame seeds
2 Tbsp white sesame seds
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Lightly pat dry the tuna steak.  In a pan large enough for the steak, drizzle just enough olive oil to cover the bottom and preheat over medium-high.

Mix the sesame seeds and a sprinkle of salt in a bowl.  Completely encrust the tuna on all sides by pressing into the mixture.

Using tongs, sear the steak on all sides for 45 seconds.  Slice the steak thinly and serve as desired in whatever dish you choose.

There you have it.  A simple, easy recipe for Ahi that you can adapt for whatever you would like.  Let me know how you use this dish.

Be sure to check out Life Tastes Like Food, especially if you want to read the adventures of a young 20-something on her quest for great food.

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