Here’s a simple recipe for tataki tuna with vegetables.  Fairly quick, easy and healthy.  You’ll ideally want sashimi grade tuna.  Total time, 1hour with ingredients costing around €22 if you have nothing to start with.  This serves more than enough for two, Prices based in Dublin, Ireland.  Let’s get started.

What you Need:

• 650 grams of sashimi grade tuna €22
• 1 eggplant, 2 carrots, sesame seeds, wasabi €4
• sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, mirin €5

Prep: Create your Marinade
Combine the following, mix well:

• 4 x spoonfuls of soy sauce
• 1 x spoon of maple syrup
• 4 x spoonfuls of mirin
• 1 x spoon of wasabi (add more for +spicy)

Prep: Chill and Marinade the Tuna
Place your tuna in the marinade refrigerated for 1 hour total, turn it after 30minutes.
While this is happening move into your vegetable prep.

Prep: Make your Veggies

• Cut 1 x eggplant and 2 x carrots (julienne style)
• Cook together for 4-5minutes on high in light sesame oil
• Leave on a low setting to keep warm and occasionally stir afterwards

Prep: Toast the Sesame Seeds
Toast the sesame in a pan without anything, wait that the color of the seed start to change and start to product their own oil, it will start to create it’s own grease.  Next, grab a thick pan and heat it to a high temperature to cook your tuna.  Let it build heat.

Final Prep: Seedify your Tuna
Next you need to take the sesame seeds and carefully press them into your marinated tuna.  Cover both sides here, with it properly refrigerated/marinated it should all combine well together.  Save the marinade remnants.

Cook the Tuna
Now it’s time to fry your tuna, use the very hot pan (with nothing in it) you’ve set aside and cook the tuna on each side for 2minutes.  Remove the tuna and move onto the final steps, placing it somewhere handy (foil or a large plate works.  Comes out rare for the below thickness.

Finish and Serve
You’re almost done, this is going to be good!  Take the remainder of the sesame seeds and add them to the tuna.  Take your existing marinade liquid and make a reduction out of it using the existing hot pan from where you removed the tuna.  You’ll know when it’s ready when the marinade liquid is about 1/3rd the amount from when it started.

Slice the tuna into 2cm cuts, combine the vegetables and tuna and drizzle the the reduction onto it, enjoy!

Optional: Pair with a good Wine
I’m a sucker for the Greco Italian grape from Campania, it makes an excellent companion to any seafood.  I highly recommend the Falanghina variety for almost all fish and seafood dishes – it’s neutral, crisp with a bright finish.