Seared Spicy Tuna with Honey-Soy Glaze

Once again we picked up a pristine steak of tuna from the sashimi section, but this time with no recipe in mind; just the intention to wing it. This meal had so many different flavors going on: sweet, spicy and salty. What’s not to like?

• Season a tuna steak on both sides with salt and pepper, and a generous amount of chili pepper flakes.

• In a small bowl whisk together about 1 to 1 and 1/2 TBS. soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. mirin (a sweet Japanese rice wine — looked for a variety called “honmirin” for the best quality), 3 TBS. honey, 1 tsp. sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds. We eyeballed the measurements, so that’s a general guideline! Taste and adjust to your liking.

• Preheat your broiler. Then heat a TBS. of sesame oil in a frying pan until very hot. Add the steak and sear on 1 side for about 30 seconds. Remove from frying pan and place seared-side-down on a baking sheet lined with foil. Spoon the honey-soy mixture on top of the tuna and broil for 1-2 minutes until the top looks beautifully glazed.

We served the tuna on a bed of homemade potato chips (thin potato slices fried in vegetable oil and seasoned with salt and garlic powder)…

and some sliced cucumbers and onions marinated in rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and thinly sliced chilies.

Lastly, we opened a bottle of sake that one of my students had given us months ago as a gift.