Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sesame-Crusted Ahi in Spicy Citrus Soy Sauce

The Story:
Jeff and I love Ahi and I have been on the hunt for the perfect Ahi preparation / recipe. I think after tonight I can officially say that we have stumbled upon the right combination of seasonings and flavors. I ran across this recipe on Texas Monthly's website. This was an easy to prepare and quick recipe that was fantabulous!

The Sauce

The Ingredients:
1 lemon

1 lime
1 orange
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
1 to 3 small Thai chiles
4 sprigs of rosemary, basil, or other herb (for garnish)


The Preparation:
Halve the lemon, lime, and orange and use a grapefruit knife to remove the seeds and cut the pulp from the skin. Be careful not to include any of the white pith. Discard seeds and skins. In a blender manually pulse the citrus pulp and the other ingredients until thick but not finely puréed. (Alternatively, you can squeeze the citrus fruits and use only the juice, not the pulp, but the sauce will be thinner.) Set aside and keep at room temperature.

Note of caution: Thai Chiles are VERY hot, add one at a time to your taste. I added 3 and ended up doubling the recipe to reduce the heat.





The Tuna
The Ingredients:

1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 cup black sesame
4 six-ounce pieces thick-cut ahi tuna steaks
kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons peanut oil (for frying)

The Preparation:
Mix sesame seeds together in a shallow pan. Season the ahi with salt and pepper, then dredge in the sesame seeds, pressing the seeds into the fish so they stick. In a large sauté pan or a wok heat the peanut oil until almost smoking. Sear the tuna steaks for about 30 seconds on each side; the center should stay rare.

Special Note: My steaks were 1" thick. I pan fried them for 2 minutes and 30 seconds on each side and they were perfect!


The Accompaniments:
This recipe will go good with either the Citrus Rice Pilaf or my Jasmine Rice recipe that I often serve with my Lettuce Wraps.

I also, LOVE micro greens. I always find the freshest organic micro greens at Sprouts. When they aren't available I substitute with spicy sprouts! This is a great compliment to the fish!
This recipe is not a kid favorite, I have to admit. The kids are just not a huge fan of Ahi. I make them a chicken breast in place of the tuna and they love that! My husband on the other hand, gave me a perfect score of a 10 and the Husband Pleasin' Seal of approval with his thumb's up!

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