Aromatic Seared Tuna Taco with Cucumber Relish, Miso Vinaigrette, and Baby Spinach
Chef Lynne Aronson manages to make a nod to Asian cuisine even as she makes a tuna taco. The tuna, coated with seeds, gets a quick sear. It is folded into peppered pappadums folded like tacos. Miso vinaigrette and cucumber vinaigrette are used to dress the dish.
Ingredients
- Miso Vinaigrette
- Blond or Light Miso - 3 tablespoons
- Rice Vinegar - 1/4 cup
- Freshly squeezed lime juice - 1/4 cup
- Canola oil - 1/2 cup
- Lukewarm water - 1/4 cup
- Cucumber Vinaigrette
- Hothouse Cucumber - 1, peeled and seeded
- Rice Vinegar - 1/4 cup
- Canola oil - 1/2 cup
- Daikon Radish Sprouts - 1/2 bunch, about 20 sprouts
- Seared Tuna
- Whole Coriander Seeds - 1/3 cup
- Star Anise - 5 whole
- Whole black peppercorns - 3 tablespoons
- White Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup
- Coarse salt - 2 tablespoons
- Egg White - 1
- Canola oil - 2 tablespoons
- Sashimi-quality Fresh Tuna - 1 pound, in one piece
- Baby Spinach - 1 pound, stemmed
- Peppered Pappadums - 6
- Hothouse Cucumber - 1/2 cup, unpeeled, seeded, and finely diced
- Daikon radish - 1/2 cup, peeled and finely diced
- Freshly squeezed lime juice - 2 tablespoons
- Canola oil - 1 tablespoon
Instructions
To prepare the miso vinaigrette: In a blender, combine the miso, vinegar, and lime juice and blend. With the blender running, slowly add the oil and lukewarm water. Set aside.
To prepare the cucumber vinaigrette: Cut the cucumber into chunks. Place the cucumber, vinegar, radish sprouts, and oil in a blender. Whiz until the cucumber and sprouts are pureed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a small bowl and set aside until ready to assemble the tacos.
To prepare the tuna: In a hot, dry skillet, roast the coriander, star anise, peppercorns, sesame seeds, and salt. Stir constantly, taking care not to burn the mixture. Place the toasted spices in a small bowl and set aside to cool.
In a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle, grind the spices, leaving some texture in the mixture. Spread the spices on a work surface.
Brush the egg white onto one side of the raw tuna, then press it gently into the spices. Brush remaining surfaces of the tuna and roll in the spices until all sides are evenly coated with the spice mixture. Using your hands, press on the tuna to further adhere the spice mixture.
In a heavy skillet over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Place the tuna in the pan and sear on all sides, cooking each side for about 1 minute. Remove the tuna to a plate and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
To assemble: Wash and dry the spinach leaves well. One at a time, place pappadums into a toaster oven or preheated 500 F oven until tiny bubbles appear all over (this will happen quickly). Remove and very quickly form the pappadum into a taco shape that will stand upright by placing it on a flat surface and folding the sides of the pappadum into a U-shape that will stand by itself. Hold in place for a few seconds until the pappadum is cool. Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces.
Slice the tuna into 18 pieces, each between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.
In a small bowl, combine the diced cucumber and daikon with the cucumber vinaigrette, using just enough of the dressing to moisten the vegetables into a mass.
Cover the bottom of a plate with enough of the miso vinaigrette to make a circle, leaving a border of about 1 inch between the sauce and the rim of the plate. Stand a pappadum taco on top of the vinaigrette.
In a bowl, lightly toss the spinach leaves with the 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon canola oil. Loosely fill the taco shell with spinach. Place 3 pieces of tuna on top of the spinach. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the diced cucumber and daikon mixture on top of the tuna, mounding it nicely. Garnish with 3 to 4 fresh daikon radish sprouts. Repeat for all 6 plates. Serve immediately.
