When I saw that ahi was coming up in today’s ad, I knew I had to tell you about one of my favorite tuna preparations.  It’s just the thing to get us back IN THE SWIM (sorry) of healthy eating.

Now, with all of that said – I’ll tell you about one little change I made.  I absolutely love the flavors of the ponzu sauce – they’re bright and citrusy and somewhat spicy.  But ponzu sauce is quite thin, and although it tasted fabulous, I wanted it to have a little more body.  So …. I put a little mayonnaise (maybe 3 tablespoons) in a small dish and added an equal amount (maybe a little more) of the ponzu sauce – enough to make it a drizzle-able consistency.  It. Was. DELICIOUS!

By all means, keep it the way it’s written if you’re not into mayo.  But I love mayonnaise and I don’t care who knows it!

Have a great week!

SESAME-CRUSTED TUNA WITH WASABI-PONZU SAUCE
SERVES: 4
SOURCE:  cookinglight.com

1 T. chopped scallions
2 T. low sodium soy sauce
2 T. fresh orange juice
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. brown sugar
1 t. lemon zest
2 t. fresh lemon juice
2 t. honey
1 1/4 t. prepared wasabi paste
1 t. grated peeled fresh ginger

2 t. neutral cooking oil
4 – 6 oz. tuna steaks (about 3/4″ thick) – Sendik’s Wild Caught Ahi is on sale
1/4 t. kosher salt
3 T. sesame seeds
2 T. black sesame seeds (SEE NOTE)
Sliced scallions for garnish

Combine first 10 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (not too high or the seeds will burn).  Sprinkle tuna with salt.  Combine sesame seeds in a shallow dish.  Dredge tuna in sesame seeds, pressing to down lightly to help them stick to all sides.  Add tuna to pan; cook 3 minutes (undisturbed) on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Garnish with scallions if desired.  Serve tuna with sauce.

NOTE:  Find the white sesame seeds in the produce department by all the different types of nuts.  Look for the black sesame seeds in the Asian aisle.  I’ll warn you:  these aren’t frugal.  BUT, I don’t mind buying them because this is a favorite dish of mine, so they won’t go to waste.    Feel free to swap in all white seeds if you like!

If you’re unfamiliar with the whole premise of the show, Spongebob works the grill at the Krusty Krab, where he takes great pride in his job as a fry cook, flipping burgers with his favorite spatula all day long.  A recurring theme throughout the series is the evil Plankton’s quest for the Krabby Patty secret formula, which of course, is never divulged.

Well, here’s what a Krabby Patty would taste like if I ran the Krusty Krab!

These burgers are made from the ahi tuna steaks that are on sale this week.  The recipe, which I originally saw a year ago in Fine Cooking, has spicy Thai flavors and a sweet and salty dipping sauce.  One note about the sauce:  it’s PUNGENT.  Truthfully, I didn’t like it at first, but it definitely grew on me.  Here’s a suggestion:  if you make the sauce and you think it’s too strong, put a little mayonnaise in a small mixing bowl.  Add the dipping sauce by the tablespoon until you get the flavor and consistency that you like (for me it was about 3 tablespoons, plus a little extra chili garlic sauce).

Also, it’s pretty important that you use your tuna rather quickly after you buy it; I mean, don’t let it sit around in your fridge for days on end.  These burgers are best served medium-rare on the inside, so keep it fresh.  Trust me.  And don’t over cook them or they will be dry, and dry tuna is no good!  We had basmati rice and steamed asparagus, which were good sides.

By the way, do you think the residents of Bikini Bottom would balk at my tuna version of Krabby Patties?  It might present an ethical issue for them, now that I think about it…because, after all, most of the Krusty Krab’s customers are FISH…maybe I should re-think my ingredients.

In the meantime, enjoy!

FRESH AHI TUNA BURGERS WITH GINGER & CILANTRO

Serves:  4

Source:  Fine Cooking Magazine, August/September 2008 issue, p.48.

For the Tuna Burgers:

• 1 lb. fresh ahi tuna steaks
• 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 T. finely chopped scallion
• 2 T. mayonnaise
• 1 t. minced ginger
• 1 t. chili garlic sauce (find this in the Asian aisle; I like the Lee Kum Kee brand)
• Salt & black pepper
• 2 T. cooking oil

For the Dipping Sauce:

• ¼ c. fresh lime juice
• 2 ½ T. sugar
• 2 T. fish sauce
• 1 ½ t. rice vinegar
• Pinch of finely chopped cilantro
• 1 t. chili garlic sauce

With a very sharp knife, chop the tuna in to ¼” dice.  Alternately, cut the tuna into chunks and pulse in a food processor until just chopped (about 4 quick pulses).  Don’t over-process.  Gently stir in the cilantro, scallion, mayonnaise, ginger, chili garlic sauce, ¾ t. salt, and ¼ t. black pepper.  Shape the tuna mixture into 4 equal 1”-thick patties.  Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, make the sauce:  combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors blend.

Heat the oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the tuna burgers until nicely browned on both sides but still pink in the center, 2-4 minutes total.  Serve with the Thai-Style Dipping Sauce.