There are few people worth knowing who do not love some perfectly seasoned and seared Yellowfin (Ahi) Tuna. Add to the Tuna a creative Shitake Mushroom & Onion Grill PLUS a Wasabi BBQ Sauce (whoever heard of such?) and you have a kickin’ meal landing square on your dinner table. Bonus: with only a modest amount of prep this dish comes together pretty quick.
Seared Tuna with Grilled Shitake-Onions & Wasabi BBQ Sauce – Ingredients
The Seared Tuna
- Yellowfin Tuna: 1+ pound
- Seasoning: I use a quality creole seasoning. This is truly a cooks choice, though. You know what you like.
- Cooking Oil: 2 Tbsp
The Shitake Onions
- Sweet Onion: 1 Large – Sliced Thick
- BBQ Rub: 2 Tbsp
- Cooking Oil: 2 Tbsp
- Shitake Mushrooms: 4-6 Oz
- Butter: 3 Tbsp
- Tabasco : A couple of good shakes of the bottle
The Wasabi BBQ Dipping Sauce
- Hot Wachulas Southern Smoky BBQ Sauce: 1/3 Cup
- Wasabi Sauce: 1.5 Tbsp
The Rest
- I garnished with some tasty microgreens. They add a nifty green bite.
- Also, added smoked Amberjack spread and crackers
Seared Tuna with Grilled Shitake-Onions & Wasabi BBQ Sauce – Prep – Cook – Serve
The Shitake Onions
Throw your sliced onion in a large bowl and hit them with the rub. Mix well for full coverage. Heat the oil to medium temperature in a good skillet and toss in the onions. Cook, stiring as needed, until you get a nice char on the slices. Remove the onions and set aside. Bring the heat down to medium-low, add the butter and as the butter melts splash in the Tabasco. Add the Shitakes and saute for 2 minutes. Add in the onions and cook the mixture for an additional 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the mixture in the pan for later plating.
The Wasabi BBQ Dipping Sauce
The dipping sauce is truly the boss with this dish. Choose the BBQ sauce component wisely. It makes or breaks the final sauce. I went with a fine BBQ sauce from Hot Wachula’s out of Lakeland, FL. While the Shitake-Onion are cooking, combine the two sauce ingredients in a small bowl and modify the proportions as desired to taste.
The Seared Tuna
On the stove, bring an iron skillet and the cooking oil to medium high heat. While the skillet is heating up, dust the Tuna steak, liberally and on all surfaces, with your seasoning.
Sear the steak on all surfaces (this includes edges) for 1 minute each. Keep a keen eye out and do not be afraid to move the fish around a bit or change surfaces a little early while searing. Aim for seared… avoid burnt:) Remove from the skillet and slice for serving.
The final product should look much like the picture above. 1/3 inch slices of Tuna, seared evenly around the outside with a sweet cool center.
Plate everything up as shown and dig in.
Bon Appetit and tight lines.
