When your best buddy’s daughter brings you fresh-caught bluefin tuna, it’s hard not to get a little excited. A few weeks ago, I tried this recipe with some Ahi and thought, “Hey, bluefin should be even better!” The cool noodles, herbs, and fish make for a nice, refreshing dinner in San Diego on a hot summer night. Thanks for the fish Ash!
Blue Fin
Ahi
Recipe Supplies:
- Tuna (whatever kind you like that is sashimi grade)
- Sesame Seeds (enough to cover the outside of the fish)
- Wasabi Paste (to taste)
- Hoisin Sauce (about 3-4oz)
- Sesame Oil (teaspoon or so)
- Cilantro (2 tablespoons worth and then enough chopped to garnish)
- Mint (10 leaves)
- Basil (10 leaves)
- Ginger Root (to taste but a teaspoon or so)
- Garlic (2-3 cloves)
- Udon Rice Noodles ( I like these ones… Lotus Foods Organic Brown Udon Rice Noodles)
- Salt
- EVOO
Begin with the Sauce for the Noodles
Chop the cilantro, mint, and basil. Mince the garlic or use a press, and microplane the ginger root.
Then, mix these ingredients with hoisin sauce and sesame oil. At this point, taste the mixture to determine how much wasabi paste you want to add and if you want more ginger. Add paste and taste in rounds until you reach your desired heat level. Once achieved, set the sauce aside and cook the noodles.
These rice noodles take a bit to cook (around 8-10 minutes). Boil water in a saucepan with a few generous pinches of salt. Once the water is boiling, cook the noodles. You might need to reduce the heat a bit so it doesn’t boil over; stir occasionally.
While the noodles are cooking, prep your fish.
Pat your fish dry and season with a little salt. Next, coat the outside of the fish with sesame seeds. You could get fancy and put the seeds in a bowl and press the fish into them, but I prefer to pour the seeds on top and use my hands to spread them. It’s a trade-off between a mess or more dishes and wasted seeds. At the end of the day, just coat the damn fish.
When the noodles are done, remove them and rinse with lukewarm water. Make sure you try a noodle before removing them from the water; often, they look done but are still chewy in the middle. The last thing you want is a bunch of noodles that stick to your teeth.
Once the noodles are rinsed and your saucepan has cooled off, return the noodles to the pan and mix with your sauce, covering all the noodles. Set aside in the fridge.
Now it’s time to sear (not cook!) the fish.
Get a non-stick pan hot. Once the pan is warm, add some EVOO to coat. When the oil starts to sizzle, add your fish. Cook the fish on each side for about 30-45 seconds. Keep a close eye on the filets and use your judgment. You don’t want cooked tuna—leave that shit for the canned type.
Remove the tuna from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board. Cut into thin slices (across the grain of the fish) with a very sharp knife. Because this is a cold dish, you can even put the fish in the fridge for a few minutes to make cutting easier.
Serve your noodles in a bowl with tuna slices on top. Sprinkle with cilantro and top off with a small amount of soy sauce.
Tada!
