Tuna is one of the easiest fish to start with in the kitchen, especially if you find sashimi grade tuna. Check with your fishmonger. At some stores, like some Whole Foods in and around New York City, the tuna is kept in a super-freezer. It's easy to defrost at home. I hope to post on it in the future.
This first recipe is simply sashimi grade tuna that is rough chopped and quickly seasoned with soy sauce and shichimi (seven spice). But feel free to use whatever you want like sesame oil, some Korean kochujan, etc. We marinate the fish for about five minutes and then serve it over rice.
This zuke couldn't be easier. Thinly slice the sashimi grade tuna, put in a bowl with
2 parts soy sauce
1 part mirin
1 part sake
and marinate overnight in a refrigerator. Serve over a bowl over hot rice.
This tuna tataki dish is always satisfying. There is something about the texture of the cooked exterior and the raw interior that makes this an appealing dish. Also, the nuttiness of the sesame seeds is a nice partner to the meaty maguro. Simply roll a sashimi grade tuna steak in sesame seeds, white or black. Then heat up a saute pan, ideally a non-stick one, add oil, and sear all sides. Let it rest before slicing. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.
One dishes like this are mastered it becomes easier to branch out to cooking with other seafood.
