Sesame and black pepper grilled tuna with vegetables and chili sauce

I might have the best friends – I got a fresh caught (!) Ahi Tuna from my girlfriend, who’s husband caught it together with his friends. Wow, it’s the best tuna I ever had. This recipe was the first that came up in my head. I wanted to sear it in sesame seeds and black pepper to keep it as simple as possible, but still add some kind of extra taste to it. To my fresh sesame and black pepper tuna, I serve a sweet carrot and snap pea salad and a hot chili mayo sauce. The carrots are sliced with a potato-peeler. This is really good!

Ingredients (4 pers.):

• 1 lb fresh tuna (or 4 x 6 oz tuna steaks)
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
• pinch of salt

Salad

• 4 carrots
• 10 oz sugar snap peas
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• fresh cilantro

Chili mayo

• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp sambal oelek

Dry the tuna filet(s) with some kitchen paper. Pour some canola oil (withstand higher temperatures than e.g. olive oil). The oil will also make the seasoning stay. Carefully roll the fish in sesame seeds and fresh black pepper. Season with some sea salt. The fish will be ready very quick, so prepare the rest of the ingredients before frying.

Peel and slice the carrots. Slice the sugar snap peas and put them together with the carrots in a bowl. Add oil, soy, liquid honey, vinegar and fresh cilantro. Mix it together with a spoon.

Mix mayonnaise and samba oelek together and add into a deep serving plate.

Heat a skillet to maximum heat. Do not add any oil into the skillet. Place the tuna in the hot skillet. Grill the fish on one side for approximately 15-30 seconds (all depending on how thick your fillet is). Remember, it should only be a quick grill on each side, and the middle should still be raw. Also, the fish will continue to grill after you take it from the skillet, so don’t keep it too long. A dry tuna is nothing anyone wants. Slice up the tuna in quite thin slices. Serve together with the carrot salat, chilli mayo and some fresh cilantro.

Smaklig måltid!

My plate is from Danish “House Doctor”.