Sesame-Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Creamy Wasabi Dressing
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Paleo
- Low Carb
- Keto
- Whole30
- Low Calorie
- Pescatarian
If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Mine would probably be ahi. Raw, seared, grilled, prepared as poke or tartare, it doesn’t matter. I like it all. Ahi is just the best.
One of my favorite preparations for ahi is a simple sear. The flesh gets cooked just enough on the outside and stays nice and raw on the inside. Best of both worlds. Add on a nice sesame crust and you’ve got pure gold on your hands. So good!
For this recipe, make sure to get really fresh sushi grade ahi tuna. Make sure it has nice dark red flesh, is firm to the touch, and smells fresh like the ocean. Avoid any tuna that has brown spots, is soft or flaky, and/or smells fishy. And, as always, please make sure your ahi is sustainably sourced! Sustainable fishing is very important for tuna species and it all starts with the consumer.
The delicious topping you see on top of the tuna is a super easy wasabi mayo dressing. To keep this recipe paleo, use a paleo mayo. This is mayonnaise made with a healthy oil like avocado oil or olive oil. You can easily make your own or purchase a pre-made jar like Primal Kitchen Avocado Mayo.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
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Sesame-Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Creamy Wasabi Dressing
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Paleo
- Low Carb
- Keto
- Whole30
- Low Calorie
- Pescatarian
Ingredients
Salads
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups micro greens
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 10 grape tomatoes sliced
Creamy Wasabi Dressing
- 3 Tbsp paleo mayo
- 1 1/2 tsp prepared wasabi paste
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Sesame-Crusted Seared Ahi
- 12 oz fresh sushi grade ahi tuna
- 2 tsp white sesame seeds
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
Salads
- Assemble the salads on two plates.
- Set aside.
Creamy Wasabi Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
- Using a spoon or spatula, scoop wasabi mayo dressing into a small plastic bag.
- Set aside.
Sesame-Crusted Seared Ahi
- Remove ahi from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. I take it out before I prep the veggies for the salads.
- Rinse and pat dry.
- Cut into desired shape. I like to have two long rectangle shapes so that they are little squares when sliced after cooking (as shown in the pictures). This is just for presentation though. Just work with the shape of the tuna you have and it will be fine!
- Combine sesame seeds, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Coat the fillets with the sesame seed mixture, gently pressing the pieces into the mixture.
- Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over high heat. You may need to turn on your vent fan when searing the tuna.
- When the pan is hot (really hot!), carefully place the fillets in the pan.
- For pieces with 4 roughly equal sides (as shown in the pictures), sear for 30 seconds per side. So, 2 minutes total. Then sear each of the ends for 15 seconds. Use a pair of tongs to move and flip the fillets.
- For pieces that are flatter, sear each of the two flat sides for 30 seconds, then carefully sear the other sides for 15 seconds per side while holding the fillet upright with tongs. You may need to do one fillet at a time in this case.
- Remove the ahi fillets to a cutting board and slice at an angle, against the grain, into 1/2 inch slices using long strokes.
- Using your chef's knife, move the sliced ahi to the salads.
- Cut off one corner of the plastic bag with scissors to create a small opening. Pipe the wasabi dressing onto the salads.
- These salads should be enjoyed immediately after cooking.
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xx Kit
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