Sesame Seared Tuna Salad

30 mins Prep Time

10 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

It's hard to understand why salads have such a bad rap when you’ve had this one. Good quality tuna is seared and kept raw on its interior, served with a handful of crisp and bright veggies, jammy eggs and dressed in a nutty and perfectly balanced toasted sesame vinaigrette. No doubt the star of the show is the tuna, so make sure to source the best and most fresh quality, but when looking not to break the bank, this salad works very well with good quality canned tuna.

Ingredients

Sesame Seared Tuna Salad

10 ounces fresh tuna steak, sushi grade quality
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups arugula
2 cups Boston bibb lettuce leaves
1/2 cup sliced cucumber rounds
1/4 cup shaved radish rounds
1 tablespoon toasted black and white sesame seeds
2 whole eggs
1 whole avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 thumb ginger, peeled and rasped

Directions

Sesame Seared Tuna Salad

4 Steps

Step 1

To prepare the vinaigrette, in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the toasted white sesame seeds until powdery, don't worry too much if it is not super fine and some whole sesame seeds remain. In a mixing bowl combine the ground sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, granulated sugar, rasped ginger and Dijon mustard and whisk until the mixture is even and the sugar has dissolved. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil until emulsified, set aside. Note: this vinaigrette can be made in advance and keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Step 2

Bring a pot of boiling water up, cook the whole eggs to desired preference (6 minutes for a jammy boiled egg) and immediately transfer to cold water once cooked. Allow the eggs to cool in the cold water for 10 minutes then peel and set aside until it is time to plate.
Step 3

Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat. Season the exterior of the tuna steak with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is smoking hot, add in the canola oil and gently lay in the seasoned tuna steak. Cook on each side for approximately 30-45 seconds until a nice crust has developed. Remove from the pan and generously sprinkle the toasted black and white sesame seeds on both sides. Allow to cool entirely before slicing into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Step 4

To assemble: on an appropriate sized serving platter, layer the arugula then the Boston bibb lettuce leaves. Shingle the slices of seared tuna, followed by the cucumber rounds as well as shaved radish rounds nestled in and around the tuna. Next, layer the avocado slices and the soft boiled eggs cut into halves, season both the avocado and eggs with salt and pepper. Top the entire salad with any remaining toasted black and white sesame seeds and serve with the sesame ginger vinaigrette.