In Japan, people are fascinated by different preparation methods and have turned preparing different types of dishes into an art. One of these Japanese preparation methods is Tataki. Tataki means serving meat or fish almost raw.
The meat is first grilled briefly over high heat and then marinated and served in thin slices. Because you are basically eating a raw product, freshness and quality are very important.
We made this tataki from tuna. There are different types of tuna available and each tuna species has its own characteristics.
We gave the dish an extra touch with a smoke infuser. Hence the smoke.
Durability
Tuna has been a point of discussion within the catering industry and in the restaurant world for years. This mainly concerns the bluefin tuna. This tuna species, which can grow up to 5 meters long, is very popular in Japan and America. Mainly because of the high fat content in the meat. However, due to its enormous popularity, this tuna species is overfished, making it rare. So rare, in fact, that a record $2.7 million was recently paid for a bluefin tuna in Japan.
If you are aware of the declining population, it is also not responsible to eat it. You better opt for the yellowfin tuna. This tuna species is still widely represented in the oceans.
The bluefin tuna is the king of the tuna species and has a high fat percentage, which is why it is very popular in Japan. Ask your local fishmonger for advice if you buy a piece of tuna, and also indicate how you want to prepare the tuna.
Tuna tataki with sesame seeds and oriental cucumber rolls
Ingredients
- 400 gr tuna yellowfin
- sesame seeds
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 2 tsp wasabi
Cucumber rolls
- 1 cucumber
- 30 ml white wine vinegar
- 10 ml olive oil
- 1 lime
Vegetable
- green asparagus
Garnish
- spring onion
- radishes
- pepper
- salt
Instructions
Cucumber rolls
- Peel the cucumber lengthwise into long slices with a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler.
- Mix 30 ml white wine vinegar with 10 ml olive oil in a small bowl. Add the juice of half a lime.
- Put the thin slices of cucumber in a bowl and add the mixture with the white wine vinegar. Let this stand for 15-20 minutes. Then make rolls.
- Grill the asparagus in a grill pan until it’s cooked al dente.
Garnish
- Cut the radishes into thin slices and the spring onion into small pieces.
Tuna
- Place a pan over high heat and toast the sesame seeds until they get a golden-brown color.
- Put 30 ml soy sauce in a bowl and add 2 teaspoons of wasabi. Stir this well.
- Heat a grill pan until it is hot. Brush the tuna steaks with some olive oil on both sides. Grill the tuna over high heat for about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove the tuna steaks from the pan. Add some salt and pepper and cover the steaks with the sesame seeds.
- Cut the tuna into thin slices.
- Arrange the plate with the cucumber rolls, tuna, asparagus, spring onion and radish slices.
- Pour some of the soy sauce with wasabi over the tuna and you are ready to enjoy your meal.
