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!

Gordon Ramsay's Citrus Rice Pilaf

The Story:

I am a huge fan of Rice. I am also very picky about it. There have been so many failed attempts at some of the rice recipes I have tried. I think I am starting to figure out what flavors I like, and what rice textures and aromas go with what types of food. Who knew there were so many rice types, flavors, aromas and textures? I also am a huge fan of Chef Ramsay. His Hell’s Kitchen show makes me laugh but I am very impressed with his strive for perfection and believe in his approach to find the best chef’s and weed out the dead weight quickly.


I spend a lot of time reading cookbooks and searching the internet for recipes that I can replicate or enhance. This is a recipe that I came across that was Chef Ramsay’s and there was no need to make one single change. It is absolutely perfect.


In the ingredients list you will see Star Anise. Before this recipe, I hadn’t ever heard of it. I was able to locate it at Whole Foods. It is a seed which is star shaped and has a tremendous amount of aroma and a flavor that is hard to describe. It is a sweet spicy flavor. I am so excited to know about this spice and am anxious to learn new ways to cook with it.


Here is the recipe for the Pilaf. The only ingredient I would add is Fine Sea Salt to taste. I make the recipe exactly as directed but put the Sea Salt on the table and let my guests salt their rice to their taste.

Gordon Ramsay’s Citrus Rice Pilaf

The Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups Basmati rice, rinsed
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• Zest the Peel of ½ orange
• Zest the Peel of ½ lemon
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth


The Preparation:


For the pilaf, sauté the onion in oil until soft. Add the rice, thyme, cinnamon, star anise and citrus peel. Season and cook for about 30 seconds to infuse the flavours – the rice should begin to look translucent. Add the boiling stock, bring back to the boil and cover with a cartouche (circle of greaseproof paper). Cook at 200c for 20 minutes.


Once cooked leave to stand for 5 minutes and remove the thyme and cinnamon before serving and mix through a knob of butter.


Accompaniments:
I serve this with my Sesame Crusted Ahi.