Tuna Trader

Tuna Burgers with ginger and soy

You will need:

1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna steak
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inches fresh ginger root, minced or grated
3 tablespoons tamari dark soy sauce
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil — eyeball the amount
2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommened: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick) or 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt — eyeball it
1 tablespoon light-in-color oil, such as canola, safflower or peanut oil
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt
4 sesame kaiser rolls, split
1 jar, 8 ounces, mango chutney
4 leaves red leaf lettuce
1 jar, 8 ounces, wasabi mustard (recommended: Stonewall Kitchen brand) — Asian sweet-hot mustard, available on the condiment aisle as well as in Asian foods section of larger markets, may be substituted
Exotic root vegetable chips (recommended: Terra brand), to pass at table, optional
pickled ginger, optional plate garnish
Preheat a nonstick griddle or a grill pan to high heat.
Cube tuna into bite size pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse the processor to coarse-grind the tuna; it should take on the consistency of ground beef or turkey. Transfer tuna to a bowl. Combine ground tuna with garlic, ginger, dark soy sauce, scallions, red bell pepper, sesame oil, seasoning blend and black pepper. Form 4 large patties, 1 1/2 inches thick. Drizzle patties on both sides with light-in-color oil, such as canola, safflower or peanut oil.

Cook tuna burgers 3 minutes on each side for rare, up to 6 minutes each side for well done. Preheat broiler.

In a medium nonstick skillet over high heat, saute fresh shiitakes for 2 or 3 minutes in 1 tablespoon light oil — 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper.

Open up the rolls and lightly toast them under the broiler. Spread mango chutney on the bottom of each bun. Top with tuna burger, shiitakes, red leaf lettuce. Spread wasabi mustard or sweet hot mustard on bun tops and set them in place. Serve with exotic chips and pickled ginger, if desired.

Nicoise Tuna Sandwich

Yield: 1 sandwich.

1 leaf loose-leaf lettuce, washed and patted dry
2 slices tomato
1 French roll, sliced
2 small red potatoes (about 2 oz.), cooked, cooled and thinly sliced
1 slice red onion, separated into rings
1 3.25-oz. can Genova� Tonno Solid Yellowfin Tuna with Olive Oil, drained
1/2 roasted red bell pepper, about 1/2 oz.
4 green beans, steamed and cooled
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
to taste, garlic salt and pepper

Place a lettuce leaf and tomato slices on bottom half of roll. Top tomato with sliced potatoes and onion rings. Flake Genova Tonno Tuna over onion rings. Garnish tuna with roasted pepper and green beans. Sprinkle sandwich filling with white wine vinegar, garlic salt and pepper. Place top slice of roll over filling. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 pound sushi-grade tuna
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño
1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus half a lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tomato–peeled, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch dice
20 best-quality potato chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, combine the corn oil and ginger and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Strain the oil.
With a very sharp knife, cut the tuna into 1/8-inch dice. In a large bowl, combine the tuna with 3 tablespoons of the ginger oil, 3 tablespoons of the cilantro and the jalapeño, wasabi, sesame seeds, scallion and lemon juice. Mix gently and season with salt and pepper.

Stand a 1 1/2-inch-tall and 2 1/4-inch-round mold or a biscuit cutter in the center of a salad plate. Fill the mold with tuna tartare, pressing gently. Lift off the mold. Repeat with the remaining tartare.
Drizzle the remaining ginger oil around each tartare and sprinkle with the tomato, the remaining tablespoon of cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stand 5 potato chips in a circular pattern in each tartare and serve immediately.

Tuna

Ahi tuna also known as yellowfin tuna.

How to make seared ahi:
First you will need to start with very fresh, sushi-grade ahi, as you will only be lightly searing the outside, leaving the inside raw. Not even rare, but raw. The freshness and the quality of the fish make a huge difference with this dish.

Ingredients
2 (6-8 ounce) ahi tuna steaks (3/4 of an inch thick)

Marinade ingredients
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 teaspoons of wheat-free tamari for gluten-free option)
1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion (scallion) thinly sliced (a few slices reserved for garnish)
1 teaspoon lime juice

Method
1 Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2 Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high to high heat. When the pan is hot, remove the tuna steaks from the marinade and sear them for a minute to a minute and a half on each side ( even a little longer if you want the tuna less rare than pictured.)

3 Remove from pan and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with a few green onion slices.

Can serve plain, with white rice, or over lettuce or thinly sliced cabbage or fennel. Shown served over sliced fennel salad.

Inspiration from The South Beach Diet Cookbook. The South Beach Diet Cookbook version seasons the tuna with salt, pink peppercorns and olive oil.