Seared Tuna or Ahi Tataki is Easy and Delicious

I remember tasting tuna sashimi for the first time when I was a little girl. I was expecting it to taste like what I had been used to eating out of a can. There was absolutely no comparison and I was so pleased. So, if you’re new to eating raw or seared tuna, please keep an open mind. In the preparation below, it has a decidedly Asian flair, but don’t limit yourself to that. Try it paired with potatoes and green beans in a salad Nicoise instead. It’s divine.

I always keep some fish in the freezer. Especially if you want to eat it rare, it’s better to purchase it that way because they say freezing kills parasites. After defrosting, ahi tuna is often seared and served rare because it’s so tender and juicy. In Japanese, it’s called tataki. That’s the way we usually eat it, but if you like it more well done, feel free to prepare it in the way that suits you.

Cooking Ahi

I used to marinate the ahi and then coat it in sesame seeds before searing it on a hot grill. That was always good. Lately I find myself merely salting it before searing it quickly in a screaming hot skillet and then dressing it with some kind of sauce or dip. This time I made a quick sauce with garlic, ginger from the freezer and soy sauce with a touch of wasabi (Japanese horseradish). You could add all kinds of additional ingredients or change it up completely depending on your mood and what you have around the house.

What to Serve It With

Pairing fish with rice and veggies, you have a complete meal that is quick and easy to make. In this case I added some cucumbers that I had pickled earlier in the day.

I love cucumbers, but I usually only buy 2 or 3 at a time because they somehow get overlooked in my refrigerator and if I have more than that, we don’t finish eating them in a timely fashion. The last time I went shopping, though, these Persian cucumbers that I like were only available in a package of 8 or 10. So, once I realized we weren’t going to finish all of them, I decided to preserve them a little longer by slicing them thinly and putting them into a simple brine. You could use any kind of vinegar that you like, plus about the same amount of water. Put some salt and sugar in there and any spices you like. Taste and see what it needs. I decided on using rice vinegar and garlic, along with some wakame (a dried sea vegetable with a long shelf life).

Guess what! Once your cucumbers have been prepared this way, they won’t waste much more time in your refrigerator because they’re so easy to snack on. Like potato chips, except much healthier, you will find you can’t eat just one!

If you happen to have leftover garlic/ginger soy sauce, add some lime juice and olive oil to it the next day and use it for salad dressing. Throw some quick pickles in there too.

Where did I get the chicken? That was left over too. Want to know how to roast one? Please read Don’t Be Chicken next.