Seared Tuna with Honey and Sesame
A seared tuna steak with honey and sesame ticks a lot of boxes for me. Firstly, tuna is a superfood, and more importantly it is one of the core superfoods; a superfood that enhances your brain function, promotes a healthy heart, eye health, immune system, and contributes to healthy hair and nails. Holy mackerel!
This tuna recipe is perfect as an appetiser or a starter. It also works beautifully as a light lunch, perhaps alongside a crisp green salad and a chilled glass of something lovely — I’d suggest a dry Provence rosé, naturally. Serve it with a honey and soya sauce dip or paired with avocado and lettuce leaves as a light lunch- personally, I’m tempted to eat the entire tuna steak before it even gets plated and served..
The honey and sesame combination is a marriage made in heaven. The sweetness of the honey caramelises beautifully against the heat of the pan, creating a gorgeous, glossy crust, while the sesame seeds add a wonderful nuttiness and a satisfying crunch. Sesame seeds, by the way, are themselves a superfood — rich in healthy fats, calcium and antioxidants — so this dish is working overtime in the nutrition department!
The real secret to a perfect seared tuna steak is not to overthink it, and absolutely not to overcook it. Tuna is best served rare to medium-rare — a quick, confident sear of about 90-120 seconds each side [depending on the size of the steak] in a very hot pan is all it takes. A beautiful pink centre is what you are after; overcooked tuna is dry, disappoints enormously, and frankly, it deserves better.
We have served this seared tuna steak with honey and sesame at dinner parties, lazy Sunday lunches and impromptu gatherings alike, and it never fails to impress. It looks elegant on the plate, comes together in minutes, and tastes absolutely spectacular. Once you’ve tried it, we suspect it’ll become something of a regular in your repertoire too.
Bon appétit 🍽️
Seared Tuna with Honey and Sesame
Ingredients
- 1 cm Piece of ginger
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Lime Juiced
- 2 Tablespoon Honey Runny Honey works best
- 2 thick Albacore tuna steaks
- 8 Tablespoon Sesame seeds
- 1 Drizzle of sesame oil
Instructions
- Mince the piece of ginger finely
- Combine with the soya sauce, lime juice and honey. Add the tuna steaks and marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a hot pan and press the toasted seeds onto the outer edges of the tuna steak, creating a "sesame seed crust"
- Add a drizzle of sesame oil to the pan and sear the tuna for 1 minute on each side or up to 90 seconds depending on the thickness of the tuna [Note 1] - it wants to be pink, but not "raw pink"
- Cut the tuna into slices. Serve warm or cold with the remaining marinade.
