GINGER ENCRUSTED TUNA WITH A PONZU SAUCE	RECIPE BY TALLYRAND

Happy New Year to everyone . . .
Gung Hoy Bok Choy - Bon Nouvelle Année - Glückliches Neues Jahr - Felice Nuovo Anno - Feliz Novo Ano - Feliz Año Nuevo

I trust, one and all had a wonderful festive period, that was either spent with their loved ones or knowing they are safe?

What a culinary year it’s been for me / us: Hub-UK and Tallyrand’s Culinary Fare continue to go from strength to strength with traffic to them being like a bank holiday motorway! A feature on Welsh cuisine commissioned and published with National Geographic. I was a judge for one national cooking competition and organised and judged for two others. All my trainee chefs successfully completed their training and went onto full time positions in the trade, although sadly one passed away during the year in a tragic accident. And my cooking columns look to maybe extending to two new newspapers overseas.

2001 certainly seemed to have seen chef’s come into their own and cement them with the public as celebrities on TV. I am torn as to whether this is a good thing or not; some have given very negative publicity to our time honoured profession, while others have been great for encouraging teenagers to train as chefs.

Well with Christmas over for another year, everyone stuffed, sick and tired of turkey leftovers, over indulged in all those goodies that Santa left, I thought I would explore the world of low fat, healthy foods this week. Something light for the stomach that won’t require you to let out another notch in the belt . . . something to help you get back into those pre-Xmas clothes.

It has an Asian flair: 'Ginger encrusted tuna' served rare with a Ponzu sauce; which is a Japanese sauce normally served as a dipping sauce for sashimi. Tuna is a wonderful fish; very nutritious, meaty in texture and best served still un-cooked right in the centre. If hygiene standards are maintained it can be treated and served just like beef or venison; rare but never more than medium! Any fish if it comes to that is best removed from the pan, oven etc when it is slightly raw in the centre, the internal heat will then finish the cooking while you are plating, saucing, garnishing and serving it. This ensures it arrives on your guests palates at its best.

If like me, you do love your fish just undercooked; keeping it is moist and succulent, not dried and over cooked, please ensure hygiene standards are maintained to the highest level:

• purchase the tuna from a reputable supplier and the fish is as fresh as fresh can be

• it has been stored on ice

• you transport it home on ice; getting home long before the ice melts

• you store it immediately in the fridge, keep it in a plastic bag rested on ice

• all equipment, knives etc must be thoroughly cleaned with hot, soapy water before and during preparation

• your hands are thoroughly cleaned with hot, soapy water before and during preparation

This recipe is full of flavourful ingredients that help enhance the delicate nuances of fresh tuna. Daikon is the wonderful Japanese white radish that is also used for intricate vegetable carvings and quite readily available now. If you cannot get Daikon sprouts however, normal bean sprouts will do just as well. This dish is just as good if you serve the tuna warm straight from the pan.

Ingredients

Tuna steaks (boneless)	4	pc
chopped green ginger	5	tbs
olive oil	4	tsp
extra virgin olive oil	100	ml
lime juice	2	tbs
grated green ginger	2	tsp
shallots (finely sliced)	1	tbs
Daikon (in thin slices or strips)	1	cup
baby lettuce leaves	2	cup
Daikon sprouts	½	cup
Ponzu sauce
light soy sauce	100	ml
rice wine vinegar	50	ml
mirin	50	ml
Thai fish sauce	10	ml
lemon juice	1	tbs
sesame oil	1	tsp

Method

• Season the tuna with sea salt and freshly milled pepper

• Spread a tablespoon of the minced ginger all over each tuna steak (or spread it onto just one side)

• Heat a sauté pan and add the olive oil, when the oil is very hot, carefully add the tuna and cook briefly; 1 minute on each side

• Remove to a plate or tray and chill for at least 4 hours; this can be done the day before

To serve:

• In a bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and ginger

• Toss the shallots and Daikon with half of the vinaigrette and in a separate bowl, toss the lettuce leaves with the remaining vinaigrette

• On chilled serving plates arrange the baby lettuce leaves with some of the onions and daikon on top

• Slice the tuna into and fan out on top of the salad

• Spoon the Ponzu (just whisk all the ingredients together) around the tuna, top with daikon sprouts and serve

Chef's Tip

If you are using a small pan and cooking them one or two at a time, clean the pan out each time otherwise each subsequent steak will pick up burnt pieces of ginger and allow the pan to come back to heat each time or they will stew instead of fry.

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Chef's terminology:
	lt	=	litres		tsp	=	teaspoon
	ml	=	millelitres		tbs	=	tablespoon
	kg	=	kilograms		sq	=	sufficient quantity (add to taste)
	gm	=	grams		pc	=	piece, meaning a whole one of

Recipe from professional
Chef Tallyrand

Email Hub-UK : info@hub-uk.com