Seared Tuna with Avocado, Lime & Sesame Rice

Ingredients

• 250g jasmine rice, rinsed
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced
• 4 tuna steaks
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 0.5 cucumber, finely sliced
• 15g coriander, roughly chopped
• 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
• salt and black pepper to taste
• pickled ginger, to serve
• edamame, podded and lightly salted, to serve
• miso soup, to serve

Method

1. Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until it runs clear — that's the surface starch off, which is the difference between separate grains and a sticky clump. Cook in well-salted water for 10–12 minutes until tender, then pull off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes to finish steaming.
2. Season the tuna steaks generously with salt and pepper, then rub all over with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Leave them on a plate at room temperature while you finish the rice — cold fish from the fridge straight into a hot pan steams instead of sears.
3. Fluff the warm rice with a fork, then fold through the lime zest, the lime juice, the toasted sesame seeds, most of the spring onions and half the coriander. Taste — the salt comes from the cooking water and the lime brightens it, but adjust now with another pinch if it needs lifting.
4. Heat a stainless or cast iron pan over a high heat until it's properly smoking — and don't crowd it. Two steaks at a time, in a single layer; all four at once and the pan temperature crashes and you'll grey the outside instead of crusting it.
5. Sear the tuna for 30–60 seconds a side depending on thickness. You want a deep mahogany crust and a ruby-red centre — pull it the moment the colour creeps a few millimetres up the side. Repeat with the second batch.
6. Lift the tuna onto a board to rest for a minute. Splash a tablespoon of water and a few drops more soy into the hot pan, swirl for 20 seconds to lift the sticky sesame-soy bits into a glossy slick, then spoon that pan sauce back over the resting fish — too good to leave behind.
7. Slice the tuna thickly across the grain. It should look glossy and barely set in the middle, not dry through.
8. Spoon the sesame rice into bowls, fan the avocado and cucumber alongside, and drape the tuna over the top. Scatter the remaining spring onions, the rest of the coriander, the chilli flakes and a small heap of pickled ginger. Serve with the edamame and miso soup on the side.