Seared Tuna with Sesame Seeds

As tuna should really be served rare, it is important to buy good quality tuna from a trusted fish market. If your preference is medium to well-done, that's fine too, just increase the cooking time to your liking. This dish is so quick and easy to make. The mild taste and crunch of the sesame seeds lends a nice added flavor and texture to the fish. The dipping sauce is essential to the overall flavor, and the addition of the honey provides a nice mild sweetness, toning down the strong and salty soy sauce.

Seared Tuna with Sesame Seeds
(Makes 4 servings.) 

• 4 6-ounce tuna steaks
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Soy Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Seared Tuna with Sesame Seeds

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot.

Place half the dipping sauce in a shallow bowl and spread the sesame seeds on a plate. Dip each tuna steak in the sauce, completely covering the fish. Lightly press the tuna steaks into the sesame seeds, coating both sides of the fish with the seeds.

Place tuna steaks in the hot pan and sear for about a minute on each side. Serve the tuna with individual portions of the dipping sauce.




Soy Dipping Sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for a GF dish)
• 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, honey and sesame oil. Divide the sauce into two equal parts, using half to coat the tuna steaks and the remaining half as a dipping sauce.