Category: Healthy Dinner

Seared Cornflake and Sesame Crusted Tuna

 tuna steak and a salad? Seventy bucks. Welcome to Los Angeles.
Mark Zupan

Cornflake, Sesame and Ginger Crusted Tuna I

If you’ve ordered fresh tuna steak or medallions in a restaurant you can appreciate the fact that at $17.99 a pound you can serve 4 and with a couple of generous sides you haven’t even hit the average price for an entrée in a fancy restaurant. I know that I had a little chunk of tuna out with other “stuff” just decorating the plate, nothing substantial and it cost $27.99.  Could be worse in other areas I suppose.

I made seared cornflake, sesame seed and ginger crusted tuna with an arugula and radish salad dressed with a simple Mark Bittman’s smooth Miso-Ginger Dressing. I still had some Bok choy left and brushed it with sesame oil and grilled it along with a wedged lemon…the lemon because it was just sitting there and I love the tasted of grilled or roasted lemons.

Gently rub 4 tuna filets with ginger paste (comes in a tube in the cold produce section), lightly season with salt and freshly ground pepper, refrigerate until ready to sear. Prepare about 1-1/2 cups of corn flakes by placing in a zip lock bag, seal and crush with rolling-pin,  place in a bowl with ½ cup toasted sesame seeds (found them already roasted in the Asian store). This should be enough for about 1 pound of tuna filets.

Dress the arugula and radish salad lightly with dressing and serve with the seared tuna…

Cornflake, Sesame, Ginger Crusted Tuna II

Corflake and Sesame Crusted Tuna

Cornflake, Sesame, Ginger Crusted Tuna 2

Grilled Bok Choy and Lemons 2

Arugula and Radishes for Tuna

I like my tuna on the rare side so it only takes about 4 or so minutes to sear while Michael prefers his more done side…

Link below to some good searing advice and a video, but I seared mine with the cornflake crust.

http://www.cooktasteeat.com/dish/sesame-crusted-ahi-tuna

Miso Ginger Dressing

Adapted from “How to Cook Everything,” by Mark Bittman (Wiley, 2008)

Time: 5 minutes

1/4 cup peanut oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons mild or sweet miso, like yellow or white

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

2 medium carrots, roughly chopped

1 inch long piece fresh ginger, cut into coins

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Put all ingredients except salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse a few times to mince carrots. Then let machine run for a minute or so, until mixture is chunky-smooth. (If you want it smoother, use a blender.) Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: About 1 1/4 cups.