2000s Recipes + Menus
Grilled Tuna and Watercress Salad with Asian Flavors
Serves4 (main course)
- Active time:30 min
- Start to finish:50 min
CHRIS SCHLESINGER AND JOHN WILLOUGHBY
June 2009
Searing the tuna well on the outside but leaving it rare on the inside gives you a lovely contrast between the two textures. That said, if you like your tuna cooked through, the salad will still be delicious.
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 6 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
- 2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
- 2 tablespoons white peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 (1-lb) sushi-grade tuna steak (about 2 inches thick)
- 1 lb jicama, peeled
- 2 bunches watercress (10 oz), tough stems discarded
- 2 scallions, very thinly sliced
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Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas); see “Grilling Procedure.”
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Whisk together olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger.
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Combine coriander seeds, white peppercorns, and kosher salt in a small bowl.
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Rub vegetable oil all over tuna, then coat with spice mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere.
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Oil grill rack, then grill tuna, covered only if using a gas grill, turning onto all sides, until seared on all sides but still very rare inside, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer tuna to a cutting board and cut across the grain into 8 slices.
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Julienne jicama using an adjustable-blade slicer fitted with 1/8-inch julienne attachment or using a knife.
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Toss watercress and jicama with enough dressing to coat, then season with salt and pepper.
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Serve tuna over salad, sprinkled with scallions. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
Cooks’ notes:
- The tuna in this recipe will not be fully cooked.
- Tuna can be cooked in a lightly oiled hot grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Tuna can be grilled 1 day ahead and chilled (covered once cool).
- We also have a Web-exclusive recipe using the leftover coriander seeds.
- Keywords
- grilling,
- seafood,
- asian,
- cook smart,
- chris schlesinger
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