Seared Tuna, Crispy Wontons, and Aioli

Seared Tuna + Seaweed Salad + Crispy Wontons + Wasabi Aioli = this:

Huge thanks to Shane at Indialantic Seafood Company for giving me this idea.

It made an elegant dinner for our company and it couldn’t have been easier.

The seaweed salad is a piece of cake because I buy it just like this:

Voilà!

The aioli I made is similar to the ones I make for Shrimp Burgers and Crab Cakes.

My recipe for wasabi aioli is below.

Wasabi Aioli

1 egg
1 lime, juiced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 TBS soy sauce
1.5 oz (1 tube) of wasabi, or less
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

I know, I know! You are shocked I have measurements for you. I have to keep you guessing, you know.

Put the egg, lime juice, a pinch of salt, 2 dashes of pepper, and garlic in a blender or food processor — I use an immersion hand blender.

Blend until frothy, about 20 seconds, and then add the soy sauce. Blend again for about 5 seconds.

Now here is the important part. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

S l o w l y . . . D R I Z Z L E.

It will all come together into a creamy mixture but ONLY if you take your time with the olive oil.

This is the consistency you’re looking for:

Now, add the wasabi. I used the whole tube, but it is up to you and your family’s love of wasabi.

We adore it.

You might want to start with a little and then taste and add more if you want more. That’s how I realized I liked the whole tube.

Blend everything together for a couple of seconds and you’ll have a nose burning wasabi aioli. In a good way, of course.

Put the aioli in the refrigerator while you cook everything else.

I didn’t realize how much the crispy wontons would add to the dish, but they really helped bring the whole meal together.

Stack the wrappers and cut into thin strips.

In a wide pan, heat your oil of choice over medium high heat. You’ll want the temperature to be about 350-365F, but don’t worry if you do not have a thermometer.

I use a test strip:

If it starts to bubble right away like the picture above, you’re good to go. If it starts to smoke, the oil is too hot.

Add the strips in a couple of batches — you don’t want to overcrowd the pan.

As you can see, I didn’t use a lot of oil. I just kept the wontons moving around until they were golden brown.

Drain them on a paper towel and immediately sprinkle with salt.

Now for the tuna.

I first wrote about Seared Tuna HERE and how quick and simple it is to make at home.

Fresh, quality tuna is the key to a successful meal, so choose your source wisely.

It should smell like the ocean, not fish.

I lightly rub the tuna with canola oil and season with coarse Kosher salt.

I used to season with salt AND pepper, but the pepper and the smoke from the high heat caused a pepper spray effect, and everyone in the house collapsed in a watery-eyed coughing fit.

So now, I add the pepper after it is cooked.

There. Now everyone is happy and pain-free.

Preheat your pan and get it very hot before you add the tuna. I use my cast iron skillet for this.

The goal is to sear it and get a good crust on the outside. This will only take about 1-2 minutes on each side.

After it is seared on both sides, let it rest on your cutting board for a couple of minutes and then slice the tuna against the grain.

Spoon some of the seaweed salad on each plate, arrange the slices of tuna on top, add a generous drizzle of wasabi aioli, and then add the crispy wontons.

This meal is gorgeous, delicious . . .

And easy!

The crispy wontons and aioli can be made ahead of time so this is the perfect meal for company.

Be sure to take the extra wasabi aioli to the table so your family/guests can add more if they want to.

My family dipped the extra wontons into it for dessert.

You will probably have wasabi aioli leftover, so you might as well make these Shrimp Burgers the next day.

Two meals, one sauce!