I grew up by the ocean, spending my earliest years on the beaches of South Texas before moving with my family to the tiny island of Okinawa where I spent my grade school years.
I remember late nights at shacks in Texas, seasoned and boiled crabs dumped from enormous buckets onto newspaper-lined tables. It's there that, before kindergarten, I learned to smash my way through bright red, wild-armed creatures and pluck out every bit of their juicy, sweet flesh.
Later, in Japan, I remember pacing through the markets with my mother and younger sister. Alongside pots of fermented vegetables, strange herbs, and bags of rice, I remember the freshly caught fish: their eyes still glassy from the sea.
Seared Albacore with Ginger, Garlic and Green Onions
Light and mild with a clean, clear flavor and a firm but yielding flesh, albacore pairs well with strong flavors like soy, citrus, ginger and garlic in one of my favorite dishes. As a mild, light fish with little fat of its own, take care not to overcook the albacore so that it remains wonderfully tender.
Servings: 4 servomgs
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Ingredients
For the Fish
- 1 pound albacore tuna medallions
- ½ teaspoon finely ground real salt
- 2 teaspoons nanami togarashi
For the Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup naturally fermented soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
To Serve
- 4 green onions sliced thin
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
Instructions
- Preheat a grill pan over high heat.
- Set the albacore medallions on a plate a sprinkle them with half the salt and nanami togarashi, then flip them over and sprinkle the reverse side with the remaining seasonings.
- Sear the seasoned albacore in the preheated grill pan, about 1 minute on the top and bottom sides. Remove from the pan, and plate.
- Whisk soy sauce, lime juice and honey together, and pour into a small dipping bowl. Arrange scallions, garlic and ginger over the seared fish. To serve, pluck up a piece of fish and garnishes and dip into the soy-lime sauce.
Notes
If you do not have nanami togarashi, substitute ½ teaspoon black sesame seeds, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest.
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