Recipe: Seared Tuna Salad with Asian Dressing

It's been a while since I posted a recipe for a salad. This dish is the perfect supper - light, packed with loads of nutrition, and a nice balance of flavours.  In this dish I paired baby spinach leaves with rocket, mizuna and other mesclun greens, but feel free to mix it up according to your taste.The key to the success of this dish is the quality of the fish, so only attempt to make it if you can get a decent piece of tuna, preferably sustainably sourced.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1-2 tbsps. of best quality soy sauce such as Kikkoman
1 tbsp lime juice
1 teaspoon grated young ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon Chinese mustard
1 tablespoon chopped coriander (leaves only)
3 tbsp olive or canola oil
2-3 drops of dark sesame oil
Pepper, sugar and salt

In a dry skillet over low heat, toast sesame seeds until lightly brown. Remove from heat and cool. Add dressing ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Add a dash of pepper, a pinch or two of sugar and salt, to taste.

Salad:

4 tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick
Sea salt and pepper
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/3 cup sesame seeds
4 cups loosely packed mixed salad leaves (baby spinach and rocket recommended)
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 seedless navel orange, peeled, pith removed and cut into sections
1/2 cup fried crispy yee mein noodles
1/4 cup smoked almonds

Place tuna on clean chopping board. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Drizzle sesame oil lightly over tuna steaks. Place sesame seeds on a plate. Coat tuna with sesame seeds.

Heat a dry skillet over high heat. Sear tuna for about a minute or so on each side for rare, or 2-3 minutes for medium done. Remove from heat and let rest on chopping board while you prep the salad.

Toss salad leaves, cherry tomatoes and spring onions in large bowl with about 3-4 tbsps of the dressing. Divide salad among four plates. Slice tuna thinly and place on top of salad. Top with noodles, almonds and orange sections. Serve immediately.