Grilled Tuna Salad

I’m obsessed with good sushi but most of our favorite places require an hour-plus wait time, and even when I get a delivery order from our hole-in-the-wall down the street it stills costs a pretty penny. Great sushi chefs spend years mastering the art form (and it is art) so I think I would be setting myself up for disaster if I tried to create some of my favorite nigiri and rolls at home. This recipe for grilled tuna salad is my compromise, as it’s full of some of my favorite Japanese flavors (big eye tuna, wasabi, avocado) but without the fuss of sushi. The tuna is quickly seared on a hot grill and still raw inside, so it’s important to use the highest-quality, freshest fish you can find.

Grilled Tuna Salad:

For Dressing

• Whisk together 1/8 c. olive oil, the zest of 1 lime, 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 1/2 tsp. wasabi powder, 1 tsp. honey, a few drops of Sriracha hot sauce.
• Taste and season with more hot sauce, salt, pepper, or honey as desired. Set aside.

For Salad

• Brush a 3/4 lb. ahi tuna steak with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
• Place on a very hot grill* for 2-3 minutes per side, or until a nice crust forms.
• Remove and let cool slightly, then cut into bite-size pieces.
• Meanwhile, largely dice 2 small avocados and toss with the dressing.
• Add in the tuna, 1/4 thinly sliced red onion, 2 thinly sliced scallions, and 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds.**
• Gently toss,*** divide onto plates, and sprinkle with a few more scallions.

Serves two-three

*Or you can use a very hot grill pan or skillet. Just make sure its super hot so that the tuna gets brown outside and stays raw in the middle.
**To toast, add the seeds to a dry skillet and place on low heat for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
***Be careful not to over mix or the avocados will break up and turn the whole thing green.