Seared tuna steak with sesame
Tuna is a dense, meaty fish that firms up and dries fast, so it is cooked hard and quick on the outside and left rare in the middle. Ask for steaks cut thick, at least 2.5cm, so you can build a seared crust while the centre stays cool and pink. Our tuna is fine to eat raw, so serving it rare is exactly how it is meant to be eaten, and a sesame crust gives the outside its bite.
Ingredients
- 2 tuna steaks, about 150g each and at least 2.5cm thick (ask the counter to cut them thick)
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds, white or a mix of white and black
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the pan
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 lime, halved
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Pat the tuna dry and season with salt and pepper. Rub with the sesame oil, then press all sides into the sesame seeds to coat.
- Mix the soy, ginger and a squeeze of lime for a dipping sauce.
- Heat the neutral oil in a heavy pan until it just begins to smoke.
- Sear the steaks for 60 to 90 seconds on each side, and briefly on the edges, so the sesame toasts and a crust forms while the centre stays rare.
- Rest for 1 minute, then slice across the grain. The outer band is opaque and the centre is deep pink and cool.
- Serve with the dipping sauce and lime.
To serve: Sticky rice and quick-pickled cucumber, or a seaweed and edamame salad. To drink, a chilled Grüner Veltliner or a dry sake. Our tuna is fine to eat raw, so you can also slice it thin and serve it raw with soy and lime. A swordfish steak cooks through the same way if you prefer it fully done.
Shop this recipe: fish fine to eat raw and fillets from the counter. Cut to order at the counter, filleting free.
