A number of years ago my boss came into work with freshly caught ahi tuna from her husband's latest fishing excursion. I proudly took a piece of it home and for the very first time made a tuna tartare of sorts. Only once finished, I left it in the prep bowl and ate the entire batch with a bag of Tostitos in one sitting. Not my finest moment.
I can gladly tell you I have acquired far more restraint over the years, and have also turned the dish into a more presentable meal, adjusting the ingredients a bit along the way according to my likes.
It's a pretty simple recipe, and spending the extra few minutes on presentation makes it look all the more special. Unfortunately I did not take those extra few minutes when cooking this the other night, however you'll get the idea.
Ingredients:
1 small to medium red onion (or 1/3 of a large one). Sliced thin or chopped, however you prefer.
1 avocado thinly sliced or in chunks (again, however you prefer)
1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro (my favorite)
1 lemon (cut in half)
2-3 limes (cut into wedges)
Soy sauce
Sushi grade ahi tuna, 1 lb.
Prep:
Prepare all of your veggies/fruit ahead of time
Once ready, brush olive oil on either side of your tuna, and add freshly ground pepper.
Heat a frying pan on high with a drizzle of olive oil until extremely hot
Quickly sear the tuna steak (about 5-10 seconds per side, the tuna will be raw on the inside)
Remove the tuna from the pan with tongs and set on cutting board.
Cut into small slices, and lay flat on a plate or standing in a row on a long platter (see photos below).
Layer the red onion slices, avocado, and cilantro.
Drizzle with soy sauce and then lemon juice.
Keep lime wedges to flavor as you eat.
Serves 2.
Can be served with white rice and lime juice (if I do this I'll toss the remaining cilantro in the rice).
So good - and healthy!
If I could only choose to smell one scent for the rest of my life... it might be cilantro.
This is the third and final lemon our dwarf lemon tree has produced the ENTIRE season. So disappointing.
