SESAME-CRUSTED TUNA AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD WITH NUOC CHAM
This fresh and bright tuna salad is a delight with the bursts of sharp grapefruit, but it also works with lemon or other citrus. If you prefer, you could marinate the whole piece of tuna, crust it with sesame seeds, and then cut into slices when serving. This is also excellent with salmon.
Ingredients
Grated zest of 2 limes, plus 3 Tbsp juice
2 Tbsp palm or brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp fish sauce
1-2 red chillies, finely chopped
1 piece of tuna loin , approx. 350- 400g
1 grapefruit, any colour
⅓ cup sesame seeds (we used a mix of black white )
1 tsp flaky sea salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ bag soft leafy greens
½ telegraph cucumber, cut into halves and sliced
½ bag mung bean sprouts
A small handful of coriander leaves
¼ cup toasted peanuts, chopped
Method
To make the dressing, combine the lime zest and juice with the sugar, along with 2 tablespoons of warm water to dissolve the sugar. Add the garlic, fish sauce, and chilli. Check the taste and adjust with sugar or fish sauce as necessary.
Cut the tuna into 8 chunks and place in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing and marinate for no longer than 30 minutes. Cut the grapefruit into segments, then cut each segment into smaller pieces. Add any grapefruit juice to the dressing.
Combine the sesame seeds and sea salt in a small bowl. Press the tuna pieces into the seeds so they are well covered. Heat a frying pan with the vegetable oil and fry the tuna over a medium heat for a few minutes on each side. Set aside to rest.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce leaves, cucumber, grapefruit, mung bean sprouts, coriander, and peanuts. Toss with the dressing. To serve, transfer the tossed salad into 2-3 bowls. Slice the tuna chunks in half and divide them between the bowls.