Every once in a while I’ll splurge and pick up a few ahi tuna steaks at my local market. I’ve already posted recipes for Peppercorn Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna as well as an Ahi Steak With Orange Honey Glaze but this is a recipe I’ve adapted from Gordon Ramsay. In fact, this Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna With Cold Ponzu Soba is quite a simple recipe that takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
The first thing you’ll need to do is to prepare your ahi tuna steaks. Just pat them dry with a bit of napkin or paper towel and set aside. As the noodles are served cold you can make them first and then work on searing the tuna.
Soba are a popular type of buckwheat noodle from Japan. A few weeks ago I put up a recipe for ZARU SOBA (ざるそば) JAPANESE COLD SOBA NOODLES which is a super popular summertime meal. The soba in this recipe are dressed a bit different, but still delicious. Just boil the soba noodles for 1-2 minutes (they really don’t take long at all) and then move them over to an ice bath to stop cooking.
The dressing for the noodles is simple. In a small bowl mix together 2 tbsp of Ponzu (Japanese soy sauce with yuzu lemon juice), two tsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp cold water, and 1 tbsp sugar. The sugar adds a depth of flavor so even though it might sound weird, trust me on it. I also add in 2-3 chopped spring onions. Whisk everything together and set aside.
To prepare the sesame crusted ahi tuna steaks you’ll need to beat one egg white. This wash is what will help the sesame seeds stick to the fish. Brush the egg white over the tuna steak and then press the tuna steak into the sesame seeds. My mixture was white and black sesame seeds with a bit of granulated garlic. Personally I would leave out the granulated garlic when I make this again as it tended to burn a bit too quickly in the pan.
In a pan add some neutral oil (I used sunflower) and put the heat up high. I only cook this fish for 30 seconds a side to ensure that it is still raw in the center. Just place the fish down into the pan, wait 30 seconds, flip, and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a cutting board to rest for a minute.
Drain the cold soba noodles from the ice bath and add it to the ponzu mixture. Give everything a good swirl and then use tongs to lift the noodles out of the liquid and place them in the center of a plate. Now, most of the sauce will still be left in the bowl, but you don’t want the noodles to be soggy and overly salty so this is okay. You can use the leftover liquid for more noodles, or as a base for a salad dressing.
Slice the tuna steak into pieces about half a cm thick (about 1/4 inch). If you want to square up the steak to make the slices more even you can do that now, but you could have also done it at the beginning so the sesame crust is intact. When you slice, make sure to do long fluid motions, otherwise you will tear at the flesh and there is a chance the tuna could break apart. Also make sure to slice against the grain, you want horizontal strips going across the ahi slices.
I garnish this Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna With Cold Ponzu Soba dish with some bean and pea sprouts and serve the same way Gordon Ramsay does. After all, we eat with our eyes first.
Sesame Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna with cold ponzu soba
Equipment
- Pan
Ingredients
- 300 grams Ahi Tuna Steak 2 steaks
- 200 grams Soba Noodles
- 1 Egg White
- 3 tbsp Sesame Seeds white and black
- 2 tbsp Ponzu
- 2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 Spring Onions chopped
- 2 tbsp Neutral Oil
Instructions
- Pat your tuna steaks dry with a napkin or paper towel and set aside.
- In a pan bring some water to a boil and then add the soba noodles. They only take about 2 minutes to cook so while they are boiling make an ice bath. Move the cooked soba to the ice bath and set aside.
- In a bowl whisk together the ponzu, vinegar, sesame oil, water, sugar, and spring onions. Set aside.
- Give your ahi steaks an egg wash with the egg white and then press them into a plate of sesame seeds. Use a spoon to evenly coat the entire piece of fish.
- In a pan add some oil and get the temperature quite hot. Place the fish in the oil and cook for 30 seconds. Flip, and then cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a cutting board.
- Take the soba noodles out of the ice bath and place them in the ponzu mixture. Give them a good mix. Lift the noodles out of the mixture and place on the center of a plate, letting the excess liquid drip off.
- Slice the seared ahi steak in about half cm (quarter inch) thick strips. Plate around the soba. Garnish with sprouts (I used bean and pea) and serve.
