Tuna Tataki with Avocado & Ponzu

• 300 gtuna loin, confirmed by your fishmonger as suitable for serving raw
• 150 gcucumber, thinly sliced
• 2spring onions, finely sliced
• 1red chilli, finely sliced
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspsesame oil
• 1 tbspsesame seeds, mixed black and white
• 1ripe avocado, sliced
• 30 mllemon juice
• 1 tbspmirin
• Fine salt, to taste
• 10 gcoriander leaves, torn, optional (optional)
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Whisk the soy sauce, lemon juice, mirin and sesame oil together. Taste before adding salt. This is the citrus-soy dressing.
2. 2Pat the tuna loin bone dry with kitchen paper. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper on all four long sides, then roll it firmly in the sesame seeds, pressing so they coat every face evenly.
3. 3Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
4. 4Lay the tuna in the pan and sear for 30–45 seconds on each of the four long sides. You're after a thin, fragrant sesame crust the colour of pale gold and a vivid raw ruby centre. Don't be tempted to leave it longer; the heat carries on travelling once it's off the pan.
5. 5Move the tuna straight to a board and, with your sharpest knife, slice it thinly across the grain in one clean draw per slice. Sawing tears the crust off.
6. 6Fan the cucumber and avocado across two plates, alternating slices, and season the avocado with a small pinch of salt; it wakes the fruit up and keeps the dish from feeling one-note.
7. 7Lay the tuna slices over the avocado and cucumber, slightly overlapping. Spoon the citrus-soy dressing generously over and around; the lemon juice in the dressing is what cuts the richness of the tuna and avocado, so don't be shy.
8. 8Scatter over the spring onions and chilli, then any optional torn coriander. Serve straight away.

Per serving

kcal

512

protein

40.2g

fibre

6.8g

carbs

18.7g

fat

31.6g