Leah recently prepared dinner for us.  It was simple, luxurious and beautiful…and one of my favorite dishes.  She created perfectly seared  Ahi tuna, rare and delicious.

Ahi tuna preparation must start with a fresh piece of sushi-grade fish and must be seared carefully until just rare.  If done right, it takes almost no time and is delectable.   If it is cooked for even a bit too long, it becomes tough and unpleasant.

Leah nailed it and here is her recipe…

 

INGREDIENTS

Sushi grade Ahi tuna (about one inch thick)

1/2 tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil

cracked peppercorns or coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

 

DIRECTIONS

Pat tuna dry and sprinkle all four sides with salt and  coating of cracked peppercorns or coarse black pepper.In a saute pan or frying pan, heat the oil or butter over medium-high heat until the pan is hot.  Add the tuna and sear for one to two minutes on each long side. Turn tuna to sear the short sides for just a moment. Remove tuna from pan and let rest for a few minutes.  Carefully slice against the grain. Enjoy!

 

NOTES

Serve with lemon or lime and a bright green vegetable like steamed broccoli or  bok choy.

Alternatively, deglaze pan by quickly sauteing scallions, mushroom or bok choy immediately after removing the tuna.  The vegetables will absorb the delicious flavor of the ahi tuna and will make the perfect accompaniment.

Serve with spicy mayo sauce.  Stay tuned to this blog for an easy and delicious recipe.

 

Recipe, plating  and photo credits to Leah Respler