Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 thick piece (about 500g/1 lb) of tuna loin, extra fresh or previously frozen and thawed in the refrigerator
• 1 salmon fillet (200g/7 oz)

For the marinade

• 5 cl (3 tablespoons) salty soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ponzu sauce
• 2cm fresh ginger, grated (or 2 teaspoons ground ginger)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

For cooking

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (sunflower)
• To coat the tuna
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (white and black)

For the dipping sauce

• 5 cl (3 tablespoons) salty soy sauce
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives
• 1 dab of wasabi (optional)

For serving

• 2 scallions (green onions), chopped
• a few cilantro leaves, chopped

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

For this recipe, I made a tataki variation - two with tuna (one coated in sesame before searing, the other just marinated then seared), and one with salmon.

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a dish: soy sauce, sesame oil, and grated ginger, adding a bit of fresh cilantro.

2. Cut the tuna into two rectangular pieces about 4 cm (1½ inches) thick (the number of pieces will depend on your amount of tuna). I tried to photograph the direction in which it’s best to cut it so the tuna stays tender. Marinate it along with the salmon for at least half an hour, preferably several hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Cooking the Tuna and Salmon Tataki

You can of course make just one version, with or without the sesame coating. Here’s how to proceed either way.

3. Dip one tuna piece in a shallow dish where you’ve placed the sesame seeds to create a crust (the trick to controlling the cooking and seeing how far the fish is seared is to not coat the small sides in sesame - you’ll see in the photo). Then, in a very hot pan (preferably non-stick), pour a drizzle of neutral oil and sear the tuna quickly (1 minute on each side, adjust according to your preferred doneness). Place on a cutting board and let rest a few moments before slicing. Repeat with the salmon.

4. In a small bowl, mix the dipping sauce ingredients. On a serving plate, drizzle a generous line of this sauce, arrange the tuna slices, and sprinkle with chopped scallions and cilantro. Drizzle with sauce and serve immediately.

Variations

• You can replace cilantro with Thai basil.

🐟 If you’d like to learn more about fish in Israel, I’ve written a practical guide and French-Hebrew fish lexicon to help you navigate and discover the choices available to you!