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
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