Pan-seared Sesame-crusted Blue Fin Tuna

There is nothing more delicious and unctuous than seared rare Blue Fin Tuna with a tangy crust of sesame seeds and spices. Blue Fin is expensive to be sure, but believe it or not Costco carries this delicacy from time to time at a reasonable price. As there is no waste, you can net four entrée servings (two tuna steaks) for in the range of $5.00 to $7.00 a serving – with no waste.

One key tool is a heavy cast iron fry pan. If you don’t have one, get one – or at least use a very heavy skillet.

4 tuna steaks (+6 oz. per person), Blue Fin, Ahi tuna or Maguro (sashimi); at least 1.5 to 2 inches thick
½ cup black sesame seeds (optional)
½ cup white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of black mustard seeds
pinch of curry
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of ground ginger
any other spice that you enjoy
2 tablespoons unflavored oil (peanut or canola)
4 tablespoons corn starch or white flour
2 large eggs, scrambled
2 cups Panko crumbs

Wasabi mayonnaise:
2 tablespoons wasabi powder
2 tablespoons water
½ cup mayonnaise

Anago sauce:
6 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or caramelized sugar syrup or molasses) dash of rice wine vinegar

Preparation:

Wasabi mayonnaise: Mix the wasabi powder with water until it forms a uniform paste. Mix with the mayonnaise. It tastes better if you let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving. Add any fresh herb as you like – for example fresh Tarragon is great.

Anago sauce: Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Let boil for a minute or so and reduce to simmer until slightly thickened. Let cool (it will thicken some more, so don’t boil it down too much).

Line up three large dinner plates (that have a somewhat raised lip) on your kitchen counter. In the first sprinkle the corn starch uniformly across the plate. Scramble the eggs briefly and pour them into the second plate. In the third plate pour the Panko crumbs and add the salt, pepper, mustard seeds, curry, cumin, ginger and any other ground spice that you enjoy. Briefly sear the white sesame seeds
in a pan until just brown – 45 seconds. The black sesame seeds are optional to your taste. Take a fork and mix the spices and sesame seeds into the Panko crumbs.

Put the oil in one large cast iron fry pan. If you have nothing larger than 8-9-inches, use two heavy pans so you can cook both steaks at the same time. Any very heavy-bottomed stainless steel fry pan will work as well. Bring both pans to high heat.

Working quickly, unwrap your tuna steaks and dry them carefully with a paper towel. Place the first steak in the corn starch and make sure it is coated evenly top and bottom and on all edges. This coating is what will make the sesame spice mixture adhere to the tuna. Carefully pick up the coated tuna and place it in the scrambled egg mixture, quickly coating the entire steak. Then place the steak on top of the Panko crumbs and flip to coat the entire steak. Turn the steak on its edges to cover all nooks and crannies. Pick up crumbs and sprinkle until you see nothing but the crumb mixture.

Immediately place the steak in the hot fry pan – be careful of splattering hot oil – the steaks will sizzle. Place the other steak in the same pan or another pan - they should not be touching. Using two flat spatulas or flat tongs, sear at high heat for roughly 90-seconds a side and 30-seconds on each edge – no longer! Try not to disturb or scrap away the coating. The sesame crumb coatings will take on a golden caramel color. Do not overcook. When you have each steak entirely seared with a golden color and a great spice smell, place them on a cutting board.

Slice the tuna steaks with a very sharp knife at uniform thickness (1/2-inch or less) against the grain and display on a plate with sauces as you like. A small mixed green salad and vinaigrette is a great side, with an acidic white wine.

Richard L. Wottrich
Email - richard.wottrich@gmail.com
Blogger - http://coolcook.blogspot.com /
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/CoolCooksShare/147332775326835?ref=hl 

Wild Rice, Barley & Ferro

Grain measurers depicted in their guild seat - Ostia - Harbor City of Ancient Rome

If you have not invested in a rice cooker yet, perhaps it is time. They work. They make preparation of rice, grasses and grains easy. Today’s fuzzy-logic rice cookers have computer chips that make proper adjustments to cooking time and temperature. Set it, forget it.

Wild rice is a grass seed with a nutty taste. Ferro (spelt) is wheat grain that has a complex, nutty taste with undertones of oats and barley. Barley is a cereal grain with a rich nutlike flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency. The three in combination are delicious and offer a triple-threat of nutrition, fiber and antioxidants.

1              cup wild rice

1              cup barley

1              cup ferro (spelt)

2              cups vegetable or chicken stock

2              cups water

1              tablespoon cider vinegar

1              teaspoon curry

1              teaspoon salt

                ground pepper to taste

                chopped fresh herbs as you wish

Preparation:

1.       Mix the wild rice, barley and ferro in a bowl. Fill with cold water and gently swish the water until it becomes cloudy. Drain and repeat three times until the water becomes clear.

2.       Put the drained wild rice, barley and ferro in the rice cooker with the stock, water and salt. Set the cooker at its “brown rice” setting. It will take roughly 30-45 minutes to cook.

3.       Scoop the mixture into a large bowl and using a spatula to turn the grains over while adding the vinegar. Add the curry, chopped herbs, and salt and pepper to your taste.

Presentation:

                At this point the grains can be served in several ways; (1) as a hot side dish with any entrée, or, (2) served cold in a constructed salad, or, (3) as a soup - put one cup in a soup bowl, pour hot stock on top and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and you have a delicious soup. Toasted pine nuts are an excellent addition, as are chopped scallions. The grains keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Vacuum Packed Precooked Prince Edwards Island Cultivated Mussels

     As a dedicated cook I prepare most everything from scratch. When it comes to mussels I usually do not prepare them at home, as I just do not enjoy the picking, steaming process unless we happen to be in a coastal town where they are local and pristine.

    So be prepared for a pleasant surprise – Costco sells vacuum packed precooked Prince Edwards Island cultivated mussels sealed with butter, garlic and parsley. Boil the pouch in water for 4 minutes and serve. I poured them on leftover Spaghetti alla Carbonara and they were fantastic! I would only add that you check for pieces of broken shells before serving – other than that, I have now added mussels to our home menu options.

    This is a Canadian product sold by Sogelco International Ltd., based in Montréal, Québec. The package claims that the product is never frozen and that the mussels are vacuum packed first, then cooked and pasteurized in the plastic bag. The mussels are rope cultured and grown in Prince Edwards Island waters. The parent company is Chinese, but until proven otherwise I take all of this at face value. The cost is $8.99 for a two one-pound bags.

Pan Roasted Cod, Pears, Red Onions & Caramelized Fennel

Serves 4

Fennel is one of my favorite vegetables, with its dill-like foliage, celery-like bulb and licorice flavor. Fennel originated in the Mediterranean and it appears in Greek mythology, when Prometheus set a fennel stalk ablaze to steal fire from the gods. Thomas Jefferson valued fennel above all vegetables. This dish by Gail Monaghan couples fennel with the virtues of roasted cod and the sublime sweetness of pear to make a remarkably subtle dish.

¼             cup extra virgin olive oil

1              teaspoon salt

1              teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4              Cod filets, skins removed (3 to 4 ounces per serving)

3              large fennel bulbs

4              red onions

1              head garlic, separated into cloves

3              lemons, two for slicing and one for juice

2              teaspoons coriander seeds

1              tablespoon whole fennel seeds

½             cup extra-virgin olive oil

3              firm pears

¼             cup fish stock

½             teaspoon fennel pollen (optional)

½             cup chopped fennel fronds, parsley and chives

Preparation:

1.       In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, salt and pepper. Rub or brush the mixture on the Cod filets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.

2.       Preheat the oven to 450-degrees.

3.       Remove the fronds and stalks from the fennel bulbs and quarter. Put into a large cast iron pan and add the red onions, cut into 8 wedges each, the garlic cloves, 2 lemons sliced very thinly and seeds removed, two teaspoons of coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, and ½ cup of olive oil. Toss the vegetables to coat with the oil. (Use two cast iron skillets if you need the room). Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

4.       Peel and core the pears and cut into four wedges each. In a bowl salt and pepper the pears, adding ¼ cup of fish stock (substitute water or vegetable stock). Squeeze juice on from one lemon. Toss to coat. Add pears to the cast iron pan(s) after 25 minutes and continue to roast until the vegetables are deeply caramelized – about 20-30 minutes more. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil.

5.       Put the Cod filets on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 to 20 minutes depending upon the thickness. Reheat the vegetables if necessary.

6.       Plate the vegetables center plate. Put a Cod filet on top. Sprinkle fennel pollen on the fish and vegetables. Garnish with the fennel fronds, parsley and chives mixture.