Sesame Marinade

I was lucky enough to find some high-quality, hard-frozen ahi tuna the other day, at $4 for each boneless slab. I’m about to place this excellent marinade with the frozen tuna into a sealed plastic bag, letting the tuna thaw slowly as it absorbs the marinade’s flavors. We’ll then toss it into a hot cast iron skillet to flash-fry it in 1 tsp. canola oil heated to the sizzling point. Served with Sunomono Salad, this great dinner is certainly a treat.

This recipe requires extra time 

for marination

Sesame Marinade for Fish:

1 c. (250 mL) dry red wine

3/4 c. (180 mL) red wine vinegar

1/4 c. (60 mL) dark sesame oil

1/2 c. (125 mL) olive oil

6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. (45 mL) ginger, finely minced

1 tbsp. (15 mL) powdered thyme (or 2 tsp. (10 mL) fresh thyme, stemmed and finely sliced)

1 tsp. (5 mL) granulated sugar

Dash salt

Shake ingredients together in lidded jar.

Note: Can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen (thawed gradually) until needed. To marinate fish (or tuna, as I did), place frozen fish in zipper-style plastic freezer bag. Add marinade, turning every hour. Marinate thin, delicate fish 1-to-2 hr., and thicker, dense fish 6 or 7 hr., allowing fish to thaw gradually. 

Use only high-quality, hard-frozen, sushi grade fish for safety. I didn’t salt the fish, letting the marinade’s flavors prevail. Ron likes to flash-fry tuna in a light coating of flour combined with powdered wasabi, to taste. You’ll find powdered wasabi in most major supermarkets.