Move Over Avocado Toast!

It’s a Powerhouse Appetizer or Main Course Rice Bowl

This is esteemed cuisine. With a flash sauté and a Japanese condiment, we are off to the cosmos in a bite! There are only a few ingredients to marry texture, flavor, and deep umami into delectable bites.

INGREDIENTS: Quality matters! Fresh tuna is better than frozen

• Tuna, sushi grade ahi – [about 1/4 pound per diner]
• salt – a few pinches
• olive oil – Extra virgin
• ponzu sauce – drizzle
• avocados – peeled and 3/8 inch thick slices
• sesame seeds – toasted, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slice tuna into sizes like a deck of cards
2. Barely salt the tuna on all sides; let rest for 15 minutes, [helps remove any fishy odors]
3. Pre-heat a skillet and film with oil, then sauté tuna chunks on all 6 sides, very briefly—15-30 seconds—until a 1/16 inch of cooked edging appears
4. Use a very sharp knife and slice tuna across the grain into 3/8 inch slices; [try to cut in one sweeping direction and using gentle pressure to minimize tearing]
5. Slice avocados into 3/8 inch slices, then cut about the same dimensions as the tuna
6. Combine equal amounts of good olive oil and ponzu sauce
7. Toast sesame seeds in a dry, heated skillet until lightly browned and aromatic
8. Arrange the tuna and avocado and spoon over with the sauce. Sometimes you can interweave the tuna and the avocado to make a stunning carousel for a special presentation
9. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. I like to serve it family style with everyone getting chop sticks and communally enjoying.

AS A RICE BOWL: Display over bowls of rice with extra olive oil-ponzu to season the rice

With Hash Browns & Mushrooms, Freshly Picked Radishes

Ready for Sharing [Photo by Yuan Chang]