Call of the Ahi
Once in a while when I go to my favourite fish store, one thing stands out above all the rest and an invisible force compels me to procure it at all costs. Sometimes it is two dozen of beautiful little oysters, beausoleil or kumomotos. Sometimes, a heaping fistful of large shrimps or scallops. Or it could be a beautiful fillet of organic salmon.
Lately, my little indulgence happens to be ahi tuna -- as in sushi grade, mortgage your home for a decent piece kinda tuna -- a beautiful fish perfect for sunny weather. The call of the ahi occured at two separate occasions and we managed to produce two memorable meals: one as part of a special meal with guests and the other a more casual, just another run of the mill worknight experimental concoction.
First, the one consumed with friends: slightly grilled (2 min on each side, 1/4 inch of doneness on the outside with the inside still raw) served on a bed of salad nicoise drizzled with a squirt of lemon and the wine, olive oil, anchovy, and olive dressing. It was a fantastic meal, but unfortunately, I'm afraid I oversalted the fish (forgot about the anchovies in the salad), but no one else seemed to have cared. The saltiness forced me to eat a little bit more of the baby potatoes, green beans, and boiled egg in the salad. Another happy consequence: it forced me to drink more wine and it made the dessert of vanilla ice cream topped with a splash of scotch and two cranks of fresh pepper even more welcome.
The second ahi adventure also involved grilling. Jon got a little smaller piece so we did not exactly have to eat beans and toast for the rest of the month. This time, we were feeling a bit adventurous and aiming for a slightly crunchy crust. I tried a little flour with wasabi powder as a coating. No luck. It did not really give us the desired effect in either look or taste. It needed more wasabi flavour so I made a mixture of wasabi powder and citrus-flavoured low-sodium Japanese soya and spread/drizzled this over the fish. On the side was a very nice sushi rice: fat, pearly rice glistening with the rice wine; and cumin-flavoured green beans. Because it was nice out and we were barbecuing and just because it was already chilled, we had Vinho Verde which we poured in low juice glasses. All together it made for a quick, decadent and tasty meal on a sunny Thursday night. A fine experiment it was!
Lately, my little indulgence happens to be ahi tuna -- as in sushi grade, mortgage your home for a decent piece kinda tuna -- a beautiful fish perfect for sunny weather. The call of the ahi occured at two separate occasions and we managed to produce two memorable meals: one as part of a special meal with guests and the other a more casual, just another run of the mill worknight experimental concoction.
First, the one consumed with friends: slightly grilled (2 min on each side, 1/4 inch of doneness on the outside with the inside still raw) served on a bed of salad nicoise drizzled with a squirt of lemon and the wine, olive oil, anchovy, and olive dressing. It was a fantastic meal, but unfortunately, I'm afraid I oversalted the fish (forgot about the anchovies in the salad), but no one else seemed to have cared. The saltiness forced me to eat a little bit more of the baby potatoes, green beans, and boiled egg in the salad. Another happy consequence: it forced me to drink more wine and it made the dessert of vanilla ice cream topped with a splash of scotch and two cranks of fresh pepper even more welcome.
The second ahi adventure also involved grilling. Jon got a little smaller piece so we did not exactly have to eat beans and toast for the rest of the month. This time, we were feeling a bit adventurous and aiming for a slightly crunchy crust. I tried a little flour with wasabi powder as a coating. No luck. It did not really give us the desired effect in either look or taste. It needed more wasabi flavour so I made a mixture of wasabi powder and citrus-flavoured low-sodium Japanese soya and spread/drizzled this over the fish. On the side was a very nice sushi rice: fat, pearly rice glistening with the rice wine; and cumin-flavoured green beans. Because it was nice out and we were barbecuing and just because it was already chilled, we had Vinho Verde which we poured in low juice glasses. All together it made for a quick, decadent and tasty meal on a sunny Thursday night. A fine experiment it was!
posted by Grace at
2:31 PM
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