Like the little black dress, sesame-crusted tuna never goes out of style. Ours is lightly seared and served with sushi rice, pickled cucumbers, and a punchy wasabi soy dressing.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
- 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ to 1 teaspoon wasabi paste (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed, plus more for sautéing
- 1 portion albacore tuna (8 to 10 ounces)
- Soy sauce for brushing
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, preferably black and white
- 1 cup baby arugula
- Warm or room temperature sushi rice for serving
- Thinly sliced scallions and radishes for serving
Directions
PICKLE THE CUCUMBERS
In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and 1 teaspoon each sugar and salt. Add the cucumbers and stir to combine.
MAKE THE DRESSING
In a small bowl, add the remaining vinegar, mayonnaise, sesame oil, wasabi paste, ginger, and a pinch of sugar, and whisk to combine. In a steady stream, whisk in the neutral oil and season with salt.
PREP THE TUNA
Season the tuna all over with salt and brush with soy sauce. Coat the tuna with the sesame seeds, pressing to adhere.
SEAR THE TUNA
Place a medium nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a thin layer of neutral oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the tuna and sear on all 3 sides until golden, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into ½-inch-thick slices.
ASSEMBLE AND SERVE
Add the arugula to the cucumbers. Spoon the rice into bowls and top with the sliced tuna and the cucumber-arugula salad. Drizzle with the wasabi dressing and garnish with scallions and radishes.
Pro Tips
Pair it Up
These bold flavors need full-bodied wine to match. Look for a fruity pinot gris from Oregon with a little acidity to stand up to this lively dish.
Spice it Up
Wasabi definitely brings some heat, but a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice blend, just before serving adds an extra punch.
Change it Up
Wrap any leftover tuna, salad, and rice in lettuce wraps and dip in the dressing for lunch.
Lighten it Up
Mayo adds a luxurious creaminess to the dressing but is entirely optional.
Know Your Cook
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
