Recently we joined a Community Seafood program which gives us 1lb of freshly caught fish every week. We don’t know what we’re getting until Saturday and we pick it up on Sunday and generally have to use it (due to a real reluctance to freeze it) by Monday.
That’s some culinary motivation.
This week it was incredibly fresh Albacore Tuna. And, with a little help of some other seasonal Farmer’s Market choices, we made an incredible Asian influenced dinner with Brussels Sprouts, Jerusalem Artichokes and mashed potatoes.
For the Tuna:
Cut the tuna into small “steaks,” against the grain – possibly 3-4″ long and 2″ thick. Wisk together a marinade of 1 Tbsp sriracha (a red chili sauce found in the Asian aisle of most super markets), 2-3 Tbsp sesame oil and 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce then place the tuna in the marinade (either in a tupperware container or even in a large ziplock bag so you can gently shake it and get all the pieces of fish covered). Let this marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, wisk together 1 egg white and 1 tsp of cornstarch until combined without cornstarch lumps. Then spread about 1/4 cup sesame seeds (white and/or black) onto a shallow plate.
Once tuna steaks have marinaded long enough – brush a little egg wash on all sides, then roll each piece in the sesame seeds, coating all sides.
Heat some oil over medium heat in a skillet and “sear” each side of the tuna – about 2 mins max each side. The set them aside on a separate plate.
With the skillet still medium hot, splash about 1/2 cup sake and scrape the bottom. To this add: 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sesame oil, 3/4 Tbsp Sriracha, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 garlic clove crushed and chopped, and 3/4 Tbsp chopped, fresh ginger. Let this sauce thicken and reduce – about 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine about 1 Tbsp wasabi paste with at least a cup of sour cream.
Once the Asian sauce is thickened – serve the tuna steaks with the wasabi sour cream and Asian sauce dripped over the top.
Mashed potatoes (with a few finely cut Jerusalem Artichokes added for sweetness) and sautéed veggies (we used Brussels and Jerusalem Artichokes slightly steamed, covered for about 10-15 mins, in a white wine and white wine vinegar combination with fresh thyme and bay leaves, and then finished with some heavy cream, parmesan and sage leaves before baking it all for 5-8 mins) on the side.
Dinner at Our Place 