I've got one last seafood post for Fish Fridays, and it's one of my faves. I've been making this seared Ahi Tuna in my rotation for a few years now and it is one of my Sunday go-to's after a long weekend of sometimes unhealthy eating.

This recipe works best with Ahi (yellowfin or bigeye) tuna, but I've made it with Albacore as well. What's the difference?

Difference between ahi tuna and albacore tuna fillets

In my experience, Ahi tends to be fattier and tastes better a little on the rare side. Albacore is a little drier but still works well too.

The best part about this recipe is that it's quick - the tuna only needs to be seared for 1-2 minutes per side, so you can have dinner ready in less than 15 minutes from when you walk in the door.

Seared Sesame Tuna with Ginger Soy Vinaigrette

Adapted from Cuisine for Two Magazine

For the Vinaigrette
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp dry white wine
1 Tbsp minced gingerroot (you can use the stuff in the jar)
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp minced garlic
Lemon Juice

For the Tuna
Equal parts black and white sesame seeds
Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
2 Tuna Steaks seasoned with salt & pepper
1 scallion bias sliced (white and green parts)
Toasted sesame oil to taste

Directions

Simmer vinegar, broth, wine, ginger, soy, sugar, lemon and garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5-8 minutes. Keep vinaigrette warm over low heat.

I made some steamed kale for our side

Combine black and white sesame seeds on a plate or paper towel. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over med-high heat.

Coat one side only of each tuna steak in sesame seeds.


Sear tuna steaks, seed-side down for 1-2 minutes for medium-rare (3-4 for fully cooked), then turn over and cook for 1-2 more minutes. (I generally only sear my tuna for 3.5 to 4 minutes total which makes it cooked outside with raw pink insides).

Plate tuna steaks and tent with foil to keep them warm.

Before serving, add scallion slices and sesame oil to warm vinaigrette. Drizzle tuna steaks with vinaigrette and serve!


This goes great with sauteed greens or an Asian-inspired salad. I think it's substantial enough not to add rice but you can if you'd like.

Mistakes I've made:

• Do not sub vegetable broth for chicken broth
• Use a splatter guard so oil doesn't go all over your range (the pan needs to be pretty hot for it to sear quickly)
• The ginger really makes the dish