Happy half-off candy day, all!  I know that most of you, just like me, will be hitting CVS hard today for that half-off candy.  So, I thought since we’ll be binging on crème eggs and peanut butter eggs together this week, I might as well do a very healthy recipe.  This week, it’s sesame-crusted seared tuna with a spicy hoisin sauce.  Here are your ingredients!

  • 1 4-Oz tuna steak
  • 2 Tbsp untoasted sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp + 1 tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp Sriracha 
  • ¾ tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Some of you are wondering where I get such lovely tuna steaks and not break the bank.  Well, my favorite German supermarket has frozen sushi-grade tuna steaks 3 for $6.  Yes, you read that right. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s just something that needs to be repeated. Also, it’s perfect for a nice, quick dinner or lunch. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, let’s cook.

On a plate, spread out your sesame seeds.  Take 1 tsp of the sesame oil and coat both sides of the tuna. When it’s coated, salt and pepper the steak to your liking.  Then take the tuna and press both sides into the sesame seeds.  Make sure it is fully covered on both sides.  Do not coat the edges because you won’t be cooking those, and the seeds will remain raw.  FYI, the black specks in this next picture are just fresh ground pepper bits.

Now let’s prep the sauce.  Hoisin in and of itself is fine, but I like to jazz it up a bit and give it some extra oomph.  Be warned, this sauce has a decent kick.  It’s not overwhelming, but you definitely feel it on the back end.  In a ramekin, mix your hoisin sauce, remaining 1 tsp of sesame oil, rice vinegar and Sriracha. You can use any hot sauce, really.  Heck, you can even use chili oil. However, I liked the garlicky flavor the Sriracha added to this sauce. Mix it well until all the ingredients have combined and the sauce is homogenized.  Here’s what it looks like pre-mixed so you can tell I didn’t measure anything.

Tuna is very tricky and very finicky. It’s very much like scallops where it goes from perfectly cooked to an old shoe in a matter of seconds. Also, it’s something that really should be rare, but some people like it less rare.  I prefer my tuna quite rare, so I don’t cook it that long. I suggest setting a timer.  The other consideration with this recipe is you do not want to burn the sesame seeds, but you don’t want to undercook them (which I may have done, slightly).  

Put a small non-stick skillet on medium heat. Let the pan get and oil hot.  The worst thing to do is put the fish in before it’s up to heat. This is especially true with this recipe because of the sesame seeds. 

Precision is the key here, folks.  Set a time for 1 minute and 10 seconds.  Yep, that’s it. Take the tuna and put it in the pan.  Start the timer.  As soon as the alarm goes off, flip and restart the time.

Once the timer goes off again, remove from the pan immediately.  Set it aside and let it rest.  Yes folks, this takes less than 3 minutes to cook. When I said this was quick and easy, I meant it.  After resting for 5 minutes, slice thin and drizzle the sauce over the sliced tuna. 

This is a single serve recipe, but I made enough sauce for 2-3 steaks. Enjoy with a  salad, some rice  (maybe from this recipe?: https://whatsupnewp.com/2021/01/tiny-kitchen-magic-seared-tuna-with-cilantro-lime-rice/) and then destroy that box of Crème eggs!  

No, that is not the same plate I used for the sesame seeds.  Yes, I know it’s wasteful, sorry!  
As always, thank you for reading.  If you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to say hi, you can email me at tkmnewport@yahoo.com.  Take care and see you next Month!

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