Seared Ahi Tuna

Hi all,

Summer is in full swing! What better way to enjoy my favorite season than with a light, refreshing, and flavorful ahi tuna! This recipe is is really quick and easy to make with minimal preparation time.

Disclaimer:
In my opinion, this dish best cooked medium rare (some pieces of tuna will be raw). It is generally safe to eat, but as with any other forms of fish and meat, consuming them raw may have a small chance of foodborne illness. To minimize risk, please ensure the fish you purchase is high enough quality and properly stored from a reputable store or supplier that you trust (generally the store will tag the fish as “sashimi” or “sushi” grade, which can give you more confidence in your purchase). Worst case, you can always choose to cook it well-done throughout.

Ingredients: (yields 6 steaks)
– 2 lb of ahi tuna (yellowfin was used in this recipe); cut into approx. 4-5 oz portions
– 4 tbsp Maggi seasoning
– 2 tbsp sesame oil
– 2 tbsp honey
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– 1/2 tsp black pepper
– Vegetable or olive oil for searing
– Green onion (garnish)
– Sesame seeds (garnish)

How to cut your Ahi Tuna filet
If you bought a larger filet, and want to get a nice “square” shaped steak, you can follow the cutting guide below:

Procedure
1) If frozen, defrost the tuna. Clean with salt and water and dry with paper towel. Place in a bowl and cut as per the guide above.

2) Mix the following ingredients in a bowl
a) Soy sauce
b) Sesame oil
c) Honey
d) Kosher salt
e) Black pepper
3) Mix the ingredients in step 2 together until honey dissolved and fully mixed
4) Pour mixture over the ahi tuna and let marinade for at least 10 minutes; or up to overnight in the fridge. You can save some to pour onto the steak after it’s finished cooking

5) Add oil to pan and heat on medium-low to low heat
6) Once pan and oil are hot, add the tuna to the pan. Cook as follows:
a) For medium-rare: 1.5-2 minutes per side
b) For well done: About 4-5 minutes per side
Ensure that the stove isn’t too hot or the seared sides may begin to burn
7) After cooking all sides, take off pan and allow to rest for 3- 5 minutes

8) After resting, cut up the salmon and garnish with green onions, sesame oil, and a drizzle of the marinade sauce

Observations
1) When cooking well-done, the steak may be more inclined to break a part if you cut after resting. You can serve well-done steaks whole to preserve presentation.
2) Allowing fish to marinate longer allowed for more flavor
3) If using frozen tuna, defrost in the fridge overnight, but for no more than 2 days. If needed quicker, leave tuna in bag and defrost in a cold water bath for approx 1 to two hours.
4) DO NOT RE-FREEZE TUNA. This is such an important rule that it was totally written everywhere on the bag. Re-freezing will negatively affect tuna quality.

References
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/six-minute-seared-ahi-tuna-steaks/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/raw-tuna