Originally conceived as an appetizer, I’ve found that tuna confit can be appropriately served and enjoyed nearly any time of the day. You can eat this in place of your usual lunchtime sandwich, or for a luxurious breakfast. My husband particularly likes to eat this for a hearty weekend brunch, topped with a runny fried egg and some chili flakes.

Tuna Confit on Avocado Toast

serves 4 as an appetizer; 2 as a main dish

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound fresh tuna, cut in chunks
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 Tblsp Dijon mustard (smooth or grainy is fine)
• 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (can substitute white wine or champagne vinegar)
• leaves from 8 sprigs thyme, chopped (can substitute another fresh herb if you like)
• 2 tsp capers, rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 slices crusty bread of your choice (if serving as an appetizer – use smaller pieces or cut them in halves or thirds again)
• half of a soft avocado

Method:

• Place tuna, 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon zest, and garlic in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Try to cover the tuna with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap on top of the tuna. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, for up to 24 hours.
• About 40 minutes before serving, put the tuna mixture into a saute pan and cook for about 5 minutes on medium low, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let sit 20-30 minutes.
• Remove tuna from oil and mash well with a fork. Add mustard, vinegar, remaining Tbsp olive oil, herbs, capers, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Toast bread in the oven, on the grill, or in the toaster. Smear a dollop of avocado on each piece of toast. Top with tuna mixture. Serve immediately.

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I made a half ration of Ginger Sesame Ahi Poke too, and served the two side by side. (In that post, I also discuss facts and myths about “sushi-grade” fish, and how I select and buy fish to eat raw.) It couldn’t be easier to toss everything in a bowl and let it mesh for 30 minutes. With a squeeze of fresh lime and a squirt of Sriracha, Hawaii was calling once again.

Salmon Avocado Poke with Lime and Mint

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. salmon fillet, skin removed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup minced green garlic or green onion, white and light green parts only
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 Tblsp soy sauce
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 2 small or 1 large lime
• 8-10 fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
• 1 ripe avocado, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

Method:

• Put salmon cubes, green garlic or green onion, grated ginger, coriander, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a non-metal bowl and stir with a rubber spatula to combine.
• Zest the lime and add the zest to the bowl, stirring to mix. Reserve the zested lime.
• Add the mint and avocado and gently mix together.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
• Remove from fridge and squeeze reserved lime over salmon. Mix together. Serve immediately with Sriracha or other hot sauce on the side.

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If you caught up with my favorite Maui eats last week, you’ll have an inkling that I loves me some spicy raw fish. I wanted to re-create some of the excellent ahi poke I had there, which turned out to be super easy and maika’i nui loa.* It’s important that you have really good quality fish for this (duh.) So you should ask for sushi-grade tuna at the counter of your local supermarket. PSYCH! The whole “sushi-grade” thing is total BS, and is not a meaningful or regulated term, you know, like when they call meat “Prime” or say things are “All-Natural,” or that time they spent 10 million bucks trying to re-brand prunes as dried plums so you wouldn’t realize they were prunes. (OK, it’s not really like that last one, but I remember thinking that was incredibly stupid.)

So here is what you actually need to do if you’re going to buy raw fish and eat it: buy it from a reputable person/place, preferably someone who specializes in selling fish and has been doing so for a long time. The closer you are to the guy/gal who caught the fish, the better. Perform a little inspection on the fish (here are good things to look for.) Then, look the person in the eye and tell them you’re planning to eat it raw. Ask them if that’s a good idea. If they say yes, Then go home and eat it right away. For a slightly different take on how to source fish to eat raw, you can see what this guy has to say, but I must warn you that one of his suggestions is to catch it your freakin’ self. Seriously. I have to say that I don’t see myself catching a giant tuna anytime in the near future… but I like his spirited commitment to excellence.

A note: I am not scared of eating raw fish (probably because I’m in denial about a lot of stuff that I don’t want to know about) but if you’re wondering about the risks, feel free to read this and freak yourself out. I’m also not scared of mercury because I don’t eat fish very often.

I am, however, scared of overfishing and ruining our oceans, so I try to choose sustainable seafood. Monterey Bay Aquarium has helpful guides with a green/yellow/red coding system that you can download for your region to help you choose fish wisely. I carry one in my purse so I can use it in the grocery store or when I’m at a restaurant. In this case, troll or pole caught ahi (also known as yellowfin) is something the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch calls a “good alternative” and marks it in the yellow category. I try to stick to the green when possible and since I feel incredibly guilty eating off the red list, I don’t really do it anymore.

Oh! One more thing. Sharpen your knife before you cut the fish, or it might turn out all raggedy and nasty. If your knives suck (or if YOU suck- just kidding, if you sucked you wouldn’t be reading this awesome blog!), ask them to cut it into 3/4 inch cubes for you at the place you buy the fish.

Ginger Sesame Ahi Poke

serves 3-4. If you have more or less tuna you can adjust the amounts in the recipe to accommodate how much tuna you’re making.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. raw ahi, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
• 6 green onions, white and light green part finely chopped
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped
• 2 Tblsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 5 Tblsp soy sauce
• Sriracha or other Asian hot sauce to taste

Method:

• Mix everything in a bowl and toss with the tuna. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before eating.
• Pour on a plate and drizzle with Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste. Serve with extra hot sauce on the side for those who like it spicy.

*According to Google, that’s how you say “great” in Hawaiian. Hawaiians, feel free to chime in on my poor language skills.

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Basically, you cook salmon at a really low temperature for about 30 minutes, which cooks it thoroughly while allowing it to retain it’s tenderness and doesn’t let it get dry and chalky. The recipe gives several suggestions for different flavor combos, but today I brushed the salmon with a honey-mustard mixture and cooked it on a bed of oranges and parsley.

You can find Jaden’s technique for low and slow salmon right here, at Steamy Kitchen.  Mmmm. Thanks Jaden!

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I spent a long weekend in the Hamptons with my two very best girlfriends, Lori and Michelle, who sadly (for me) are two displaced California lasses who have decamped to New York City. The reason was ostensibly Lori’s bachelorette party, but it was really just an excuse to spend some quality time together.

I usually don’t make such fancy shmancy stuff, but this was an occasion that called for something special. Plus, I was excited for the opportunity to pick up some incredibly fresh local seafood and build a seasonal meal around it. This dish screams “springtime” and turned out fabulously well, if I do say so myself. And although it seems a little complicated, for me, at least- it was not so very much effort for such an impressive result. When I do buckle down and commit to a more complex or fussy meal, it is really exhilarating when it turns out well, because I sometimes fear that I’m losing my chichi cooking chops by tending almost always towards the simplest types of cooking. This was the first meal that I’ve cooked in quite some time that gave me that “yep, still got it” feeling.

I was loath to put up the recipe because I completely winged it, and don’t have exact measurements, but Lori and Michelle were really hoping to re-create the meal at home, so I’m summoning my best powers of memory and estimation to try and offer you a coherent recipe.

Seared Sea Scallops with Melted Ginger Leeks and Crispy Mushrooms
This is the amount I made for 3 people, but it could serve 2 or 4 if you just adjust the scallop amounts- the mushrooms and leeks will be an OK amount either way. I served it with asparagus risotto.

Ingredients:

• a couple Tblsp butter
• a couple Tblsp olive oil
• ½ pound oyster mushrooms, chopped finely
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped finely
• ¾ cup white wine
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peel on, sliced
• 9 fresh large sea scallops, rinsed and dried well
• 2 medium-sized leeks, cut in thin slices
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

• Put about 1 Tblsp olive oil and 1 Tblsp butter in a sauté pan and heat over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and season with a lot of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until small and dark brown and crispy. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Return mushroom pan to medium high heat and add ½ cup wine. Cook until almost completely evaporated.
• Add cream and cook until bubbling. Turn off heat and add ginger. Set aside.
• Season scallops with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Put about 1 Tblsp butter and 1 Tblsp olive oil  in a sauté pan over high heat. When hot,  place scallops in pan, flat side down. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until nice and crispy brown on each side. Remove to plate. (Remember that the scallops will continue to cook a bit after removing from pan, so it’s better to err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking.) Remove to a plate and set aside to rest.
• In a small pan, heat about 2 tsp olive oil and add shallots. Saute until soft but not brown.
• Add leeks and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  Add ¼ cup wine and cook until almost evaporated.
• Discard ginger pieces from cream. Pour cream over leeks. Cook about 2-3 minutes, until leeks are soft.
• To plate, pull out some leeks with tongs and make a bed on the plate. Place 3 scallops on top. Pour a little bit of the leek cream over the top of the scallops. Sprinkle with a handful of mushrooms.

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Before you think I’m bragging about my AWESOME recipe too much, let me tell you that this is not my recipe- it was in the NYTimes a couple years ago. The secret brilliance here is that instead of using bread crumbs as a binding agent, you use a little bit of mashed potatoes. It calls for a small amount, so if you don’t want to make them either buy a small amount of prepared mashed potatoes from Whole Foods or a deli, or boil 1 peeled potato and smash it up with a little butter, milk, yogurt, or whatever to make it the right consistency.

The Crystal Beurre Blanc is a fantastic addition, but if it seems like too much effort, just put a bottle of Crystal or Frank’s Red Hot on the table. The recipe suggests serving the crab cakes over spinach, but in this case I served them over sauteed shredded brussels sprouts. Delicious!

Get the recipe here.

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Note: I’m calling it “Vietnamesque” instead of “Vietnamese” because I don’t want to front or anything. You know, because I just made it up and I’m not Vietnamese.

Vietnamesque Seared Ahi Salad
serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tblsp packed mint leaves
• 2 Tblsp packed cilantro leaves
• 1 shallot
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 Tblsp slivered almonds
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 1 Tblsp vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 small ahi tuna steaks
• about 2-3 oz microgreens (or greens of your choosing- I found the microgreens at Trader Joe’s)

Method:

• In a food processor or blender, combine mint, cilantro, shallot, jalapeño (if using), ginger, and 2 Tblsp almonds. Pulse until chopped.
• Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, 2 tsp sesame oil, vegetable oil, salt and pepper and pulse until well-blended and saucy but not perfectly smooth.
• Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in a flat pan. Meanwhile rinse ahi steaks and dry very well. When oil is hot, use tongs to sear all sides of the tuna. (If tuna is less than 1/2 inch thick, you can just sear on each side. If it’s thicker than that, you should sear the edges as well as the large flat sides, by holding the fish on edge in the pan with the tongs for ~30 seconds each side.)
• When done, smear about 1/4 of the sauce on one side of each tuna steak and flip over to cook for about 10 seconds. Mixture will brown almost immediately. Remove fish to cutting board, sauce side up.
• Toss microgreens with remaining sauce. (Start with one Tblsp and add more as desired.) Arrange on plates.
• Slice tuna in large pieces and lay over greens. Crush remaining Tblsp of almonds in your hand and sprinkle on top. Serve immediately.

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