Kim Always Hungry

Simple Marinated and Seared Tuna

Tuna has to be one of my all time favorite proteins. I love all of its breeds and preparations. If you plan to follow me on this food journey, be prepared to see a lot of tuna recipes. I prefer it high quality and raw, I crave it from a can, and I’ll “settle” for it seared. But is it really settling if you’re eating ahi tuna? My privilege does not escape me. What I’ve made today is my basic marinated and seared recipe. You can use this as more of a guide to create your own version suited to your or your guests’ tastes and dietary restrictions.

You may have noticed that some of the fish you buy is marked as “sashimi grade” or “sushi grade”. Legally, this term means nothing. There is no governing body that regulates the grade of raw fish in the same way that the USDA grades beef. There are two governing bodies in the United States that regulate the food that we eat, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Founded in 1927, the FDA works underneath the Department of Health and Human services and regulates over 80% of our food supply. Founded by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, the USDA regulates meat, poultry, and egg products. They focus mostly on meat inspections and meat grading creating terms such as “USDA Choice” or “USDA Prime”. This is likely what comes to mind when people read “sashimi grade” when they are grocery shopping. So is this purely marketing? Yes and no.

Fish that is safe for raw consumption will be marked as such by the grocer. If you trust your fishmonger, then you can trust their labeling. Wildfish besides tuna species are deemed safe for raw consumption if flash frozen at specific temperatures to kill parasites. This has proven to be the most effective method and the FDA legal guidelines. Freshwater fish are more susceptible to broadfish tapeworms and are thus only eaten cooked. Tuna and farm-raised salmon have such extremely low rates of parasitic infections that they are deemed safe to eat raw as well.

Tuna is a perfect introduction to eating raw fish as it is low risk and its texture is quite meaty. If you are still feeling a bit squeamish, you can apply heat to it by searing the outside. This is what I have done here. For my Caribbean people who are afraid to eat meat if it isn’t cooked all the way through, trust me; you will be a raw food pro by the time I’m through with you.

As I mentioned before, this marinade is a great base for any raw fish appetizer. You can also add carbohydrates and vegetables to make this a full meal. I like to prep sliced vegetables and alium in the beginning of the week and then sear my tuna the day of for a gourmet lunch that takes less than 5 minutes to throw together. The only ingredient here that I think is non-negotiable is soy sauce. Any of the other items can be substituted or even left off in a pinch and you will still enjoy the dish. This is by no means “traditional” because I am not Japanese. I just like fish, especially tuna. Tuna is such a great protein option because it is low calorie and nutritious. 85g (3oz) of tuna boasts 448mg of Potassium, 25g of protein, and 45% of your Vitamin B6 intake at only 110 kcal. Best of all? It tastes great!

This “recipe” doesn’t have any measurements. I will potentially add some later but I actually think this is a perfect type of dish to freestyle with. You aren’t making recipes for production; you;re cooking for yourself, your friends, and your family. Why not have variety? I think marinades are great when they are slightly different each time. They say that variety is the spice of life but I’m also just too lazy to measure soy sauce for my lunches.