Tuna Tetaki Salad

My favorite from the Koi restaurant that burned down in Lehi.

Yield

4 servings.

Ingredients

½ cup ginger, minced
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
½ lb very fresh, sushi-grade ahi tuna
Kosher salt
1 tbsp lime juice
 
1 medium avocado, ripe, peeled and sliced
2 cups mixed greens (spinach, chopped romain hearts)
12 thin slices red onion
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and diced

Ginger sauce

1 small shallot, minced
½ tsp ginger, finely grated
black pepper, fresh-ground
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup lime juice
⅓ cup olive oil

Preparation

0. Make the ginger sauce in a small bowl combining the shallot, ginger, a few snaps of the pepper grinder, soy sauce and lime juice. Slowly wisk in the olive oil and set aside. Wisk thoroughly before using each time below.

1. On a shallow plate, mix together the ginger, sesame seeds and cracked black pepper. Season the tuna lightly with salt.

2. Make ½" deep incisions in the tuna, every ¼" or closer if you like to make it easier to slice at the end. Roll the tuna in the ginger mixture, pressing lightly so that the mixture sticks to the tuna.

3. Place a sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and sear the tuna on all sides, about 30 seconds per surface. Set tuna aside. Deglaze pan with lime juice. Pour the lime juice over the tuna.

4. In a bowl, combine the avocado, greens, red onion and tomato. Toss with some of the ginger sauce. Slice the tuna following the incisions you made. Place some of the dressed greens on 4 plates. Arrange the tuna on top. Drizzle with the rest of the ginger sauce.