Hot Tuna on a Cool Cucumber Bed

This really hit the spot today. I love the blend of flavors and the fact that the marinade is also the salad dressing. Hot, meet cool. Cool, meet hot.

Ingredients (4 servings):

2 (5 ounces each) ahi tuna steaks (thawed, if frozen)

Marinade and Cucumber Dressing:

1 (7 ounce) container mandarin orange segments in natural juice

2 Tablespoons bottled sweet Thai chili sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

½ teaspoon roasted sesame oil

Pinch of sea salt

Crust:

2 Tablespoons white sesame seeds

2 Tablespoons black sesame seeds

Pinch of sea salt

2 teaspoons canola oil

Cucumber Salad:

1 medium cucumber, very thinly sliced

¼ cup red onion, very thinly sliced

Directions:

Cut the tuna steaks in half and place in a shallow mixing bowl.

Drain the juice from the mandarin oranges into another bowl, reserving the oranges.

To the drained orange juice, mix the chili sauce, ginger, rice wine vinegar, roasted sesame oil and the pinch of salt. Drizzle ½ the mixture over the tuna steaks and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Add the cucumber slices, reserved mandarin orange segments and red onion to the rest of the marinade/cucumber salad dressing mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet until hot and shimmering, but not smoking (medium high heat is perfect). Combine the two types of sesame seeds and a pinch of sea salt to a shallow bowl. Remove the tuna pieces from their marinade, letting the excess drip off, and roll in the seed mixture. Cook in the oil about 1 minute per side, about 4-5 minutes total.

Drain any excess liquid from the cucumber salad and pile it 4 plates. Top with a roll of tuna.