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Sesame-Crusted Seared Tuna

Name: Sesame-Crusted Seared Tuna
Prep time: 9 min
Total time: 9 min
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: swordfish steaks — 680 g; soybean soy sauce — 59 g; rice wine vinegar — 22 g; dark sesame oil — 14 g; honey — 15 g; ginger — 5 g; garlic — 3 g; white sesame seeds — 79 g; black sesame seeds — 79 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; oil — 27 g; scallions — 200 g; sesame seed paste — 5 g

Sesame-Crusted Seared Tuna reads umami 6.9, richness 5.7 and salinity 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Fusion main, about 9 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.0 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.9 · Richness 5.7 · Salinity 5.0 · Sweetness 4.6 · Nutty 4.6 · Floral 3.7 · Allium 3.5 · Sourness 3.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Marine & Briny 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Earthy 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0

What's in it (14)

swordfish steaks — 680 g
soybean soy sauce — 59 g
rice wine vinegar — 22 g
dark sesame oil — 14 g
honey — 15 g
ginger — 5 g
garlic — 3 g
white sesame seeds — 79 g
black sesame seeds — 79 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
oil — 27 g
scallions — 200 g
sesame seed paste — 5 g

Time & effort: about 9 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 199.5 kcal, 14.3 g protein, 14 g fat, 4.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, honey, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl to make the dipping sauce; set aside.
Pat the tuna steaks completely dry with paper towels.
Season the tuna all over with the salt and pepper.
Spread the white and black sesame seeds together on a large plate. Press each tuna steak firmly into the seeds, coating both flat sides and all edges evenly; set on a clean plate.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil and the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers and just barely smokes, about 2 minutes.
Working with 2 tuna steaks at a time so the pan stays screaming hot, sear until the sesame crust is deeply golden and toasted on the first side, 45-60 seconds, then flip and sear the second side the same 45-60 seconds; stand each steak on its two thin edges for about 15 seconds each to toast the crust fully. The center should stay translucent, dark ruby-red, and rare, 115-120F. Transfer to a cutting board.
Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil, and repeat the searing with the remaining 2 tuna steaks.
Slice each tuna steak crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces with a sharp knife, cutting straight down in one motion per slice to keep the crust intact.
Fan the slices on plates, scatter with the scallions, and serve with the dipping sauce and wasabi paste alongside for dipping.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Sheet-Pan Miso-Glazed Salmon with Bok Choy — Japanese
Sesame Ginger Salmon — Japanese
Salmon Poke Bowl — Japanese
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl — Japanese
Sesame Ginger Glazed Cod — Fusion

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.