Seafood · Japanese
Sesame-Seared Yellowfin Tuna (Tataki)
Seared tuna, or tataki, is the quickest impressive dinner there is: a sesame-crusted yellowfin steak seared hard for a minute per side, then sliced to show a ruby-red center. Since the inside stays rare, quality is everything; wild-caught yellowfin that was frozen right after the catch is safe to serve rare and slices cleanly.
- Prep15 min
- Cook5 min
- Total20 min
- Servings4
Ingredients
- 4 wild-caught yellowfin tuna steaks (about 170 g each, 2.5 cm thick), thawed $515
- Or 4 thick premium salmon fillet portions, skin removed (sear 1-2 minutes per side) $490
- 1/3 cup white and black sesame seeds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil with a high smoke point
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp honey or a pinch of sugar
- Sliced green onion, microgreens or cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Thaw the tuna in the fridge, still sealed, and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil and honey in a small bowl and set aside.
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper, then press both flat sides firmly into the sesame seeds.
- Heat a cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot, then add the oil.
- Sear the tuna for 45-60 seconds per side for rare (sear the edges for a few seconds too, if you like). Don't move it while it sears.
- Rest for 2 minutes, then cut across the grain into 1 cm slices with a very sharp knife.
- Fan the slices on plates, spoon over a little of the sauce and garnish with green onion. Serve with rice, salad or avocado.
Tips
- The pan must be smoking hot: you want a crust in under a minute while the center stays cold and rosy.
- Leftover seared tuna is excellent the next day over a salad or in tostadas with chipotle mayo.
