I’m not a fan of all things seafood - in fact, I’m pretty much a fan of no-things seafood - but well prepared seared tuna with sesame seeds can be wonderful, provided the tuna is very, very fresh. It’s the best of both worlds; a light fresh sushi-ish interior with a tasty, seared, sesame-crusted outside. This recipe is easy; all you need is a pan, a burner and a source of very fresh high quality tuna steaks.

Serves 2

Requires about 10-15 minutes of work.

1/2 pound very fresh high grade tuna steak (or as much as you want for two people)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (or more, to taste)
spray canola oil
1 large daikon radish
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1. Make sure that you get the highest quality tuna, unless you plan on cooking it all the way through. Sushi grade tuna is best; if it’s not available, talk to your fishmonger and tell them you’re planning on searing the tuna; make sure they give you tuna that’s safe to have raw in the middle. Cut the tuna into as many chunks as you need for the people you’re serving.

2. Peel the daikon radish. Shred it, either with a grater or a food processor. It’s difficult and time consuming to do it with a grater.

3. Put 1/2tbsp of soy sauce in a shallow plate. Press the first piece of tuna into it. Put another 1/2tbsp into the plate and flip the tuna over, pressing the other side into it. Repeat with the second piece of tuna.

4. Put 1/2tbsp of sesame seeds in a shallow plate. Press the first piece of tuna into them. Put another 1/2tbsp into the plate and flip the tuna over, pressing the other side into them. Repeat with the second piece of tuna.

5. Preheat a pan to medium heat. Spray it lightly with canola oil. Note that everyone’s stoves are different… you’ll need to pay attention here… and if your tuna cooks too quickly or not quickly enough, adjust the heat or cooking time next time. Our goal here is to sear the outside and keep the middle raw, but you might prefer it cooked more.

6. Once the pan is heated, carefully place both tuna steaks in it. Let them cook for about 2 and a half minutes; then flip them and cook for two more minutes.

7. While the tuna is cooking, put half of the daikon on each plate; sprinkle each pile of daikon with 1tbsp rice wine vinegar.

8. When you remote the tuna steaks, put them on a cutting board and cut them into thin strips. Serve the tun strips over the daikon radish.

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