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black garlic and sesame crusted tuna

Black Garlic + Sesame Crusted Tuna

A slight spin on traditional seared tuna, this black garlic and sesame crusted tuna takes on all the notes of your favorite sushi roll using sweet umami fermented black garlic, nutty sesame seeds, and a hint of spice, while the tuna stays perfectly raw and tender in the center.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 2 people*

Ingredients
  

  • 1 8-12 oz fresh tuna steak cut about 1 inch thick
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup dried ground black garlic**
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp high heat oil, such as avocado or peanut oil

Instructions
 

  • Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) with the oil over medium high heat. 
  • Slice the tuna steak in half to make two servings. Add the soy sauce to a shallow bowl and place the tuna steaks in, turning to evenly coat.
  • While the tuna sits in the soy sauce, combine sesame seeds, ground black garlic, chili flake and salt on a plate. Remove the tuna from the soy sauce, shaking to remove excess, and press it down into the sesame seed mixture. Use some pressure to make sure that the coating sticks to the fish. Turn the fish to coat both sides and ends with the sesame seed mixture.
  • Make sure your skillet is properly heated; the oil should be shimmering and you should be able to feel the heat when you hold your hand over the bottom surface of the skillet (this may take 5-7 minutes). Gently place the crusted tuna steaks in the skillet, pressing down with a spatula. Sear for about a minute, until sesame seeds are just turning golden brown. Flip, and repeat on the other side.
  • Slice the tuna with a very sharp knife and serve.

Notes

*This recipe can easily be doubled by doubling the ingredients. When buying more tuna, make sure you are still buying 8-12 oz, 1 inch thick steaks and slicing them in half (just buy more of them). This will ensure the tuna is the perfect size for searing.
**I found crushed black garlic at Trader Joe's. If you can't find it, you can use black garlic puree. Simply spread a thin layer of the puree on the tuna before crusting in the sesame seeds.