Seared Tuna Salad with Spicy Cashew Dressing

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Spring has been, um, lacklustre up to this point. Cold rain is the dominant theme and my least favorite form of precipitation. So, yeah, I’m far from impressed. But even this slow and painful spring can’t keep me from daydreaming about the summer fare that will soon be on the menu. The weather may scream soup, but my heart wants this Seared Tuna Salad with Spicy Cashew Dressing. I particularly love this dish because it features my current obsession: An ahi tuna saku block. Although when I refer to it as an “ahi tuna saku block”, I’m being redundant because saku means “block” in Japanese, and ahi means yellowfin and bigeye tuna in Hawaiian. So in reality, I just called this piece of fish a “tuna tuna block block”. Sometimes you just have to laugh. 

So, what is an Ahi Tuna Saku Block? Well, as its name suggests, it’s premium yellowfin tuna that has been skinned and cut into a uniform block. It is cut from the centre of the loin and is chosen specifically for its quality, which makes it suitable for raw consumption. The block format makes it easy to portion out and slice for sashimi. And I love it for tataki because its uniformity makes it easier to maneuver on the grill or in a frying pan. It also cooks very evenly.

Be advised, tuna saku blocks are sold very frozen, so you will not be enjoying your tuna the day you purchase it. Take your tuna out of its packaging and let it defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 8-10 hours. Once your fish defrosts, you’re on the clock again. Like most fresh fish, you don’t want it to hang around too long, so it’s best to eat it the day it thaws.

Are tuna saku blocks expensive? Well, they aren’t cheap. I paid about $26 for the piece in the photos. But my partner and I split this one, so it roughly came out to $13 worth of fish per person. Not exactly a budget meal, but a heck of a lot cheaper than a night out at a sushi restaurant. But having said that, I do treat these perfect little bricks of fish as an indulgence. They are on par with a steak dinner. So yeah, we’re in date night territory. I don’t mind the spend because my guy actually likes tuna and isn’t much of a seafood fan. So, having a piece of fish we can enjoy together is pretty much priceless.

But enough with the justifications, let’s make this Seared Tuna Salad with Spicy Cashew Dressing. The first thing we’re going to tackle is the greens. I’m using red leaf amaranth, which is also called Chinese spinach. This green can be eaten raw or cooked, and one of its most unique features is that it retains its colours even when cooked. So, no matter how you prepare it, it will brighten any plate.

We’re going to eat our amaranth raw, so all we have to do is rinse it under cold water and then set it aside to drain. You could employ a salad spinner here, but there’s nothing I hate more. It’s like endlessly trying to start a lawn mower. Not my idea of a good time. So, air dry it is. This is why washing your greens first is so important. And speaking of which, we’re going to do the same with some gem lettuce.

While the greens are drying, let’s move on to the dressing. Now, this dressing is thick. Think of it as a creamy salad dressing and less of a vinaigrette. If you would prefer a saucier dressing, trim the amount of cashews you use back by a third. All you have to do is pop all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. I like to get the dressing out of the way before the tuna, so the flavors have some time to meld. Keep the dressing at room temperature while you move on to the tuna.

Whip an egg white on high until stiff peaks form. We’re going to brush the egg white all over our tuna, and this will be the glue that keeps our sesame seeds in place. We whip the egg white because when egg whites are beaten, their protein molecules stretch out around the air bubbles, creating a more stable, uniform network. This makes it easier for the sesame seeds to adhere to the fish and stay there throughout the coating, searing, and slicing process. Make sure you pat your tuna dry before applying the egg white. Any excess moisture will inhibit the egg white’s ability to act as a glue. 

Once the tuna is coated in sesame seeds, heat some neutral oil in a large cast-iron skillet until smoking. Add the tuna and sear on all sides until golden. The key here is to have a skillet so hot that it generates a golden crust before it overcooks the tuna. Don’t walk away. Once the tuna hits the pan, you’re in for only about five minutes of cooking. And don’t forget to sear the edges of the tuna as well. It may not seem all that important, but I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t sear the sides, the tuna is more difficult to slice cleanly. You need uniform rigidity on the outside to keep from inadvertently mushing the flesh while you’re trying to get your knife through that sesame crust. 

For this Seared Tuna Salad, I like to compose the bowl and serve it with the dressing on the side. I do this because the dressing is spicy and should be deployed at the user’s discretion. The dressing is also thick enough that it can also be a dipping sauce. But if you’re feeding known heat fans, you can, of course, dress the greens in a large bowl and then place the tuna on top of that. The dressing coats the greens the same way a blue cheese or Caesar dressing would. So add your dressing in dribs and drabs to avoid over doing it and drowning the leaves. 

As for the mango, cucumber, and shallots, I like to add these to the top of the salad rather than tossing them with the greens. My biggest pet peeve is when all the toppings gather at the bottom of the salad bowl. I want my flourishes upfront, right where I can see them. You can, of course, ignore my advice and add them to the greens beforehand. But be aware that if you go this route, the final serving of your salad is likely to be the best, so plan accordingly. 

And that’s everything you need to know about this Seared Tuna Salad with Spicy Cashew Dressing. This dish is a little indulgent, but it won’t ask much of you. It requires minimal attention and a grand total of five minutes of cook time, and yet, it screams fancy. In other words, it’s the perfect date night nosh.

Enjoy!