Ahi Tuna steaks with Fingerling Potatoes and blanched Asparagus

If you ask most people, they’ll tell you that tuna is best served raw. That’s because it’s a lean fish whose lack of fat makes it dry out easier than most fish when cooked. The number one rule when cooking tuna stakes is to leave them a little rare in the middle. For those of you who are squeamish about eating rare fish, don't worry, as long as you have a fresh cut of fish you shouldn't have anything to worry about. There is nothing worse than an overcooked tuna steak...okay maybe I can think of a few things that are worse, but still.

Ingredients:

For the Ahi Tuna:

Two fresh or recently thawed Ahi Tuna steaks
Kosher salt
3/4 Cup Sesame seeds (toasted or not)
Sesame oil
Olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper

For the Fingerling Potatoes:

2 pints fingerling potatoes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 to 3 sprigs fresh sage
3 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus for sheet pan
Salt and pepper

Blanched Asparagus:

1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb.
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Directions:

Ahi Tuna:

Remove your tuna from the freezer and let them reach room temperature, rinse and pat dry. Prepare your grill for high heat. Coat your steaks in olive oil and a dash of sesame oil (olive oil works too.) Note: a little sesame oil goes a long way. Sprinkle kosher salt and rub into each side of the tuna steaks. Using a peppercorn grinder, grind some fresh peppercorns in a flat bowl and mix with sesame seeds. Gently press steak into the peppercorn and sesame seed mixture.
Sear the steaks over high heat for about two minutes on each side. Don’t leave the grill! This will go very fast. You want to sear the outside of the steaks without burning your sesame seeds. It’s ok if some seeds char a bit. Remove the fish from the grill and serve


Fingerling Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking sheet inside to heat.

Add potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet pan from oven, lightly coat with olive oil, and pour potatoes onto pan. Place potatoes in oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crispy on outside and tender on inside.

Asparagus:

Begin by rinsing asparagus thoroughly, cut off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut in half or keep them whole.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and return water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Place asparagus in boiling water and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer asparagus to ice-water bath until cool; drain. Add lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste.