Sesame with tuna is one of those classic flavour combinations that I turn to again and again. I love sesame oil too but it has such a strong, distinctive flavour that a little goes a long way.
453 CALORIES | 23G FAT | 4G SATURATES | 4.5G CARBS | 4G SUGAR | 0.5G SALT | 53G PROTEIN | 6G FIBRE
SERVES 4
6 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 x 180g tuna steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ large white onion, thinly sliced
8 asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 5cm pieces
200g fresh spinach
juice of ½ lemon
1 small red bird’s eye chilli, very finely chopped (retain the seeds for extra heat)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 spring onions, finely sliced
a handful of fresh coriander
1. Spread the sesame seeds out over a large plate and then, one at a time, press the tuna steaks down firmly onto the plate so the seeds stick on all sides.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick frying pan and, when hot, sear the tuna steaks for 1–2 minutes on each side. Take the tuna out of the pan and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large wok and cook the onions for 2 minutes, then add the asparagus and stir-fry for a further few minutes.
4. Now add the spinach and stir until it wilts, then add the lemon juice and take off the heat.
5. Add the chilli and sesame oil and mix well, then season to taste.
6. Divide the wok-fried vegetables between four serving plates. Arrange the tuna on top and scatter with spring onion and coriander to garnish.
TIP
Nothing is worse than overcooked tuna. It’s such a waste of good quality and fairly expensive fish so I always recommend you keep it rare on the inside.
