GRILLED TUNA WITH SEAWEED SALAD
Even a dish as simple as grilled tuna can get out of hand if the sauces and sides are calorically wacky. In this recipe, most of the minimal fat comes from the tuna—and the rest is from toasted sesame oil, which provides a lot of flavor. The ingredient that I really love here is the furikake, a Japanese rice seasoning made with bonito flakes, nori flakes, and other seasonings like sesame seeds, dried anchovies, or bits of egg—the sky is the limit. It can be found, along with prepared seaweed salad, at most Asian markets. Serves 4
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
4 sushi-grade tuna steaks (4 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups seaweed salad
1½ cups sliced grape tomatoes
4 scallions (white and green parts), sliced thin on the diagonal
4 tablespoons furikake mix
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon water
1. Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat.
2. Rub the chili garlic paste into the tuna, and season the tuna with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the tuna for 2 minutes per side for rare. Transfer it to a plate, and allow it to rest for a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the seaweed salad, tomatoes, scallions, 3 tablespoons of the furikake, sesame oil, and water. Divide the salad among 4 dinner plates or shallow bowls.
4. Thinly slice the tuna, and arrange the slices on top of the seaweed salad. Sprinkle the remaining furikake over the tuna, and serve.
