Recipe: Asian Seared Tuna

Serves 4

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons ponzu sauce (see Kitchen Note)

4 yellowfin or albacore tuna steaks (about 6 ounces each and 1-inch thick)

¼ cup mayonnaise, low-fat or regular

½ teaspoon prepared wasabi

¼ cup toasted white sesame seeds

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, or use all white

1 ½ tablespoons canola oil or clarified unsalted butter, or a mixture of each

1. Combine sesame oil and ponzu sauce in a shallow baking dish. Add tuna steaks and cover. Marinate at room temperature 20 minutes or in the refrigerator 2 hours.

2. Mix mayonnaise and wasabi in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. This can be made up to 4 hours in advance.

3. When ready to cook, remove tuna from marinade and discard marinade. Pat dry and coat each steak with about 1 tablespoon wasabi mayonnaise. Combine and spread sesame seeds out on a plate. Press each tuna steak into the sesame seeds to coat both sides.

4. Heat oil or butter over medium-high heat in a sauté pan large enough to hold tuna, until the oil shimmers. Add tuna and cook on each side for 3 minutes for rare, but not longer than 5 minutes per side. Serve with additional wasabi mayonnaise if desired.

Times Kitchen Note: Ponzu is a Japanese dipping sauce that is usually made with soy sauce, mirin and citrus or rice vinegar. It's sold with other Asian products in well-stocked supermarkets.

Data per serving:

Calories 397

Protein 42.52g

Fat 22.15g

Carbohydrates 6.32g

Sodium 255mg

Saturated fat 2.97g

Monounsaturated fat 8.44g

Polyunsaturated fat 9.08g

Cholesterol 81.80mg

From "The Big Book of Fish & Shellfish" by Fred Thompson