Spicy Tuna Stack
Whenever a blackfin tuna hits the deck, I tend to celebrate more than usual. These fish are some of the most delectable our waters have to offer and maximizing their culinary potential takes very little effort in the kitchen. Just remember, when you catch one of these fish, use a brain spike, bleed the tuna and submerge it in an icy slush to not only maximize the meat, but also respect the catch. When it’s time to chow down, this recipe is an easy, no-cook crowd pleaser.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 1 cup cubed blackfin tuna
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup sweet onion, chopped
- ¼ cup orange bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. ginger juice
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. sriracha
- 1 tbsp. black sesame seeds
Fish Substitutions
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Wahoo
- Yellow Jack
- Cobia
Instructions
To begin, you want to make sure your tuna fillets are completely dry. I recommend patting them dry with paper towels, then storing them wrapped in paper towels to remove any moisture. Place them back in the fridge.
For the sweet onion and bell peppers, simply chop into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Set them aside until it’s time to assemble the dish.
Next, assemble the simple marinade. In a bowl, mix your soy sauce or liquid aminos, honey and ginger juice. Set the marinade in the fridge.
Now that the fish has had some time to cool and dry in the fridge, cube it into half-inch pieces and quickly cover it and return it to the fridge so it stays cold.
The sriracha mayo comes next, and I like to simply combine my mayonnaise and sriracha in a small plastic bag, seal it and blend it in the bag. If you like things more or less spicy, simply alter the amount of sriracha you add.
Next, thinly slice your avocado and set it aside. I recommend doing this later in the process to minimize the sliced avocado’s exposure to the air.
Take your cubed fish and place it in the bowl with your marinade. You want the fresh tuna to maintain its texture, so simply coat it in the marinade instead of letting it soak.
It’s now time to assemble the dish. I like to use a shallow, cylindrical bowl that’s at least 5 or 6 inches in diameter, but a cylindrical ring works, too. The goal is to keep the ingredients in place as you stack them. When using a bowl, start with the tuna, then the veggies, then the avocado. Once everything is in the bowl, carefully turn the bowl over onto a plate, give the bottom of the bowl a few light taps and lift the bowl. You should be left with a perfectly formed stack with the tuna on top.
Finally, make a tiny cut on the corner of the sriracha mayo bag and drizzle it on the stack. Sprinkle a pinch or two of black sesame seeds over everything, serve with sliced cucumbers or rice crackers and enjoy!
