Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Dinner last night was a sesame crusted YT with wasabi mayo and anago sauce on some mixed greens and avocado with a ginger dressing. I normally make this with tuna but since I had some YT in the freezer, I figured I would try the swap. Lo and behold, it turned out pretty damn good. This is a simple recipe with a crowd-pleasing presentation, so I thought I’d share.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...r/sesameyt.jpg

Here is the recipe...Enjoy

4 tuna steaks (~6 oz. per person), ahi tuna or maguro (sashimi)
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsps unflavored oil (vegetable or canola)
2 ripe avocados, sliced thin
salad greens
wasabi mayonnaise
anago sauce
masago or tobiko (smelt fish roe)

wasabi mayonnaise
2 tbsps wasabi powder
2 tbsps water
1/2 cup mayonnaise

anago sauce
6 tbsps soy sauce
4 tbsps mirin
2 tbsps brown sugar (or caramelized sugar syrup)
dash of rice wine vinegar

Wasabi mayonnaise: Mix the wasabi powder with the water until it forms a uniform paste. Mix with the mayonnaise. It tastes better if you let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving.

Anago sauce: Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Let boil for a minute or so and reduce to simmer until slightly thickened. Let cool (it will thicken some more, so don’t boil it down too much).

Combine the sesame seeds, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Completely coat the tuna steaks in the mixture, pressing seeds and seasonings into the flesh. Heat the oil in a large, shallow frying pan over high heat. When the oil is hot (chuck a sesame seed in and it should sizzle – just take care if the darn thing jumps and hits you!) set one or two steaks into the pan. Take care not to crowd the steaks. More than two at a time will make it hard to sear the sides without overcooking the other pieces. Sear for less than a minute on the flat sides (unless you want it more cooked) and while gently holding the steaks with tongs, sear for about 20 seconds (or more if you prefer) on the short sides. Remove to a cutting board and slice the steaks into 1/2-inch thick pieces at an angle – or leave whole if you prefer. Set avocado slices on a bed of salad green and then fan the tuna on top. Drizzle with wasabi mayonnaise and anago sauce over the fish or serve on the side. Top with a sprinkle of masago. Serves 4.