Spicy Sesame Tuna Salad Food

SPICY SEARED TUNA WITH SESAME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Melt the butter over low-heat, stir in the ginger root and remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to infuse for 2 to 3 hours or overnight for the flavor to develop.
• In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and whisk in the sugar until it is dissolved. Remove from the heat and all to cool. Stir in the salt, pepper, sesame seeds, and soy sauce, then whisk in the sesame and vegetable oils until the mixture is completely emulsified.
• Reheat the butter and ginger root infusion until it is soft enough to spread easily. Brush each sheet of aluminum foil with some of this mixture, and sprinkle with a little salt and white pepper. With a very sharp knife, slice the tuna about 3/8 inch thick against the grain and lay 2 slices in a single layer on each piece of foil. Preheat a grill, griddle, or large heavy skillet to very high heat.
• Toss the greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat all the leaves and reserve the remaining vinaigrette for another use. Mound an equal quantity of the salad on each of 6 serving plates.
• Transfer the sheets of foil to the hot grill and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the tuna is seared on one side and still raw on the other. Immediately transfer the tuna slices, raw side up, to the plates and drape them loosely around the edges of the salad. Garnish with the chives and the shiitake caps, if desired, and serve immediately.
• In a large heavy saucepan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger root, and mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are just seared and still dry. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and reduce over medium-high heat until almost no liquid remains. Stir in the sambal olek and salt and remove from the heat. Add the vinaigrette and stir to mix. Set aside and allow to marinate for at least 6 hours. The mushrooms can be kept covered in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

SESAME TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk vinegar (or lemon juice), canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and ginger in a small bowl.
• Combine 3 tablespoons of the dressing with tuna, peas and scallions in a medium bowl.
• Divide cabbage among 4 plates. Mound one-fourth of the tuna mixture (about 1/2 cup) in the center of each plate and garnish with radishes, cilantro and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing (about 2 tablespoons per salad) and season with pepper.

SPICY TUNA SALAD SUSHI ROLL

Steps:

• Sumeshi: Rinse the rice thoroughly to drain some of the gluten from the rice.
• Cook the rice, using equal parts rice and water. I use a rice cooker, but you can also cook it on the stove if you don't have a rice cooker.
• Put the rice vinegar and sugar in a small pot over medium heat.
• Stir until the sugar has melted into the rice vinegar.
• Once the rice is finished cooking, take the rice out of the pot and put it in the hangiri (japanese wooden bowl), or a large bowl if you don't have a hangiri.
• Cool the rice and rice vinegar mix, then slowly pour the rice vinegar mix over the rice, using a cutting motion to mix it into the rice with the rice paddle (or wooden spoon). Keep a little leftover to use in the sushi preparation.
• To Prepare the sushi: Drain your tuna and mix all of the tuna salad ingredients together.
• Now take one piece of nori and place it on your sushi roller (recommended for getting tight rolls but in a fix you could use a stiff towel). Wet your fingers with the cooled rice vinegar mixture and press a fairly thin sheet of rice onto the bottom 3/4 of the sheet, leaving room at the top of your roll to seal it.
• Using a spoon, place a generous line of tuna a little lower than the half way point on your rice square. Then add a line of your lettuce leaves on top of the tuna.
• Begin rolling from the bottom, tucking firmly with each roll to tighten it. Be careful not to smoosh it though, it's a delicate balance but you'll get the hang of it after awhile.
• Once you've gotten to the blank top of your roll take a little of the rice vinegar mixture and apply it to the inside, roll it up and use a little more on the closed roll if it's not fully sealed.
• Using a sharp, wet knife cut into bite sized pieces. You can serve this with the traditional wasabi-soy sauce mixture but it's so flavorful it's not necessary.

SESAME SEARED TUNA AND SUSHI BAR SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Place spinach in a dry pot set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until it just begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer into a strainer to cool.
• While spinach cools, toast white sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until light golden brown. Transfer into a mortar and pestle and crush into a very coarse paste, leaving some seeds whole. Add white sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine and reserve.
• Transfer cooled spinach to a towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Chop roughly and add to a mixing bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving.
• Mix mayonnaise, miso paste, and rice vinegar together for miso mayo sauce. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
• Lightly salt tuna steaks, and then coat all sides well with as many sesame seeds as you like, pressing them lightly as you do.
• Brush a nonstick pan with oil and place over medium heat. Sear tuna steaks in the hot pan for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, as well as each edges.
• Slice and place tuna over the miso sauce. Brush tuna with ponzu and serve with spinach salad on the side.