This is an adaptation of a very creative dish by Chef Mark Griffin of Bish World Cuisine in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This delicious tuna recipe was also featured in Ted Reader’s latest book “King of the Q’s, Blue Plate BBQ”.

When I first saw the ingredients list the thought of prosciutto with tuna was not exceptionally appealing as I thought it may be too salty, but the wasabi butter sounded pretty darn good so I marched on. I made a few changes to the recipe but mainly just because I didn’t have all the ingredients and had to substitute a few. The result was a wonderful marriage of the salty prosciutto, spicy wasabi and the creamy texture of the seared tuna.

If you don’t like your tuna seared with a cool center, then avoid this recipe because it’s the only way to cook tuna steaks. Be sure to buy sushi grade tuna.

INGREDIENTS:

For the tuna

• 1 lb sushi grade tuna steak(s) 1 1/2 inch thick, cut into cubes 1 1/2 inch square
• 4 oz prosciutto, sliced paper thin
• bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon

For the wasabi butter

• 1 1/2 tablespoons wasabi powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cold water
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• juice of 1/2 lime
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper

PREPERATION:

1.  Mix all the spices and the lemon zest together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the tuna cubes with the mixture, coating all sides equally. Cut the prosciutto slices lengthwise into 1 1/2 inch strips. Place a tuna cube at the end of one strip of prosciutto and roll, covering the tuna on 4 of the 6 sides. Repeat until all cubes are prepped then skewer them as seen below. Place the skewered tuna in a shallow dish squeeze the lemon juice evenly over the skewers. Put the tuna skewers in the fridge and move on to the wasabi butter.

2. In small bowl, mix the wasabi and cold water to make a paste. Add the butter, green onions and lime juice and mix. Then salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

3. Grease your grill with flavorless cooking oil or spray with non-stick spray. Preheat grill to 500 – 550°F then grill skewers for 1 minute per each 4 sides. You want to sear the sides while being careful not to over cook the tuna. The center of the tuna should be a cool center. Plate and drizzle with the melts wasabi butter. Alternatively you could forego the grill and the skewers and sear the cubes in a medium hot sauté pan with a tablespoon of butter.

Serves 2

Heat Factor