What to do when the fish dies and you can't release it.
Seared Tuna Burger with Wasabi Sauce
from the Fast Fish Cookbook, by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison
Seared Tuna Burger with Wasabi Sauce
from the Fast Fish Cookbook, by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison
2 (3/4 pound, 1-inch thick) ahi or bluefin tuna steaks
1/4 cup toasted white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
4 hamburger buns, toasted
1 recipe Spicy Wasabi Sauce
12 thin slices ripe mango or papaya
Lettuce leaves
* Cut each piece of tune in half horizontally to produce four 1/2 inch thick steaks. Sprinkle both sides with the sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
* Prepare a very hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to high (about 600 degrees F). Alternately, heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Brush oil on the grill rack or in the skillet and add the tuna. Cook, turning once, for about 10 seconds on each side. The tuna should be charred on the outside and raw to rare in the center. Assemble the tuna on the buns with the sauce, mango slices and lettuce, and serve at once.
Spicy Wasabi Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons wasabi powder, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and wasabi powder, stirring until the wasabi is absorbed. Add the lemon juice, ginger and salt and mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Sauce will keep for up to one week. Use on pan-fried, broiled, barbecued or battered fish.
Makes 3/4 cup.