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Written by A simple yet delicious Seared Tuna Recipe with a Sesame and Wasabi crust from Reuben Riffel.
If you are looking for a very easy tuna recipe then this is one you should definitely take a look at. All that is required are a few tuna steaks, depending on how many you a cooking for, some wasabi, sesame seeds and a few more spices. Simply coat the tuna steaks in the spice mix, drizzle with a little oil and then pop them into a griddle pan for a few minutes each way.
You do not want to cook the tuna right through, simply sear the crust and warm up the middle of the fish.
| White Sesame Seeds | 1 | tablespoon | |
| Black Sesame Seeds | 1 | tablespoon | |
| Fish Spice | a | pinch | |
| Tuna Fillets | 2 | ||
| Wasabi | |||
| For the Vinaigrette | |||
| Ground Ginger | a | pinch | |
| Ground Cumin | a | pinch | |
| Lime Juice | |||
| Caster Sugar | 1 | teaspoon | |
| Olive Oil | |||
| Salt | |||
| Green Chillies | 1 |
1 . If you have a whole salmon cut into fillets, about 2-3cm thick.
2 . Pat them down to remove and excess moisture
3 . Toast the sesame seeds
4 . Mix them in a bowl with fish spice
5 . Spread a little (or lot) wasabi onto the tuna steaks
6 . Coat the tuna fillets in the sesame spice mix
7 . Drizzle a little olive oil on the crusted tuna steaks
Cooking:
1 . Heat up a griddle pan (high heat)
2 . Drop in the tuna steaks
3 . Cook for a minute or two each way
4 . You want the inside to be warm and the crust to be seared.
5 . For the vinaigrette:
6 . Mix together the ground, ginger, ground cumin, with some lime juice, caster sugar and olive oil.
7 . And a pinch of salt
Some handy tips
1 . Use the freshest tuna you can get, for best results do not use frozen tuna
2 . Buy the best quality you can afford
3 . Get you pan as hot as you possibly can
4 . Heat up a frying pan
5 . Coat the fish fillets with olive oil.
6 . Saute in the hot pan and baste the fish with marinade for 8-10 minutes. (timing will depend on the thickness of the fish fillets)
A little wiki about Tuna
Tuna are a group of salt water fish from the family Scombridae, particularly of the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of 70 km/h (43 mph). Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an oxygen-binding molecule, which tuna express in quantities far higher than most other fish. Some larger tuna species, such as bluefin tuna, display some warm-blooded adaptations, and can raise their body temperatures above water temperatures by means of muscular activity. This enables them to survive in cooler waters and to inhabit a wider range of ocean environments than other types of fish.
Tuna is an important commercial fish. The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation compiled a detailed scientific report on the state of global tuna stocks in 2009, which includes regular updates. According to the report, Tunas are widely but sparsely distributed throughout the oceans of the world, generally in tropical and temperate waters between about 45 degrees north and south of the equator. They are grouped taxonomically in the family Scombridae, which includes about 50 species. The most important of these for commercial and recreational fisheries are yellowfin, bigeye, bluefin, albacore, and skipjack.
About Chef Reuben Riffel
Reuben Riffel grew up as the middle child in a loving family in Franschhoek. Through his mother’s intermittent involvement in the restaurant industry, Reuben started work as a barman and waiter. One day he was asked by Head Chef, Richard Carsons, to help out in the kitchen. Slowly, the kitchen cast its spell on young Reuben.
As he listened to Chef Richard and started reading and tentatively experimenting the realisation slowly dawned: “This is not just a job. This could actually be interesting. This could be something you can be proud of”
Over the next few years, life took him to different kitchens, from Top restaurants in Balito Bay, the Cape Town Waterfront, Franschhoek and the UK. While in the UK, Reuben was approached by Marc Kent who had purchased a property in Franschhoek for which he had big plans and he wanted Reuben to partner with him in creating a top-notch restaurant. The two men seemed to think alike and, after two years in England, Reuben headed back to Franschhoek.
Reuben tackled this big challenge with typical gusto and within the first year he was declared Chef of the Year and Reuben’s, his restaurant, was made Restaurant Of The Year. “I count myself very lucky,” says Reuben. “Other chefs work as hard as I do and may never enjoy this kind of success.” These humble words are to Reuben’s credit. However, his success is certainly not undeserved. In the famous words of Gary Player: “The more you practice, the luckier you get.”
