Sesame Crusted Tuna with Avocado and Lime

by Charlie McCarthy, Sr.

Ingredients

• 425 g tuna
• 80 mL sesame seeds
• 2 tsbp vegetable oil
• 20 mL lime juice
• 1/4 cups red onion
• salt
• 1 tbsp thai style fish sauce
• 1 avocado
• 1 chili
• 2 lime leaves
• ground pepper
• 30 taro chips

Recipe

1. Cut tuna into 4 or 5 strips, each 1.5 inch wide; season with salt and pepper. Pour sesame seeds onto a small plate and, working with 1 strip of tuna at a time, press into seeds to fully coat each side. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high and sear strips 30 seconds per side (under cook is better then over); set aside.
2. In a small non-reactive bowl, combine 1 tsp (5 mL) lime juice and the red onion; season with salt.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice and thai style fish sauce; add avocado, chili and lime leaves. Gently stir to separate avocado pieces and coat all in lime juice mixture. Season with freshly ground pepper. (If making ahead, keep components separate, cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)
4. Cut tuna strips into pieces 1⁄2 inch (1 cm) thick. Top individual taro chips with a single piece of tuna, a generous tsp (5-plus mL) of the avocado mixture and a scant 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) of the onion mixture. Serve right away.

Enjoy!