Sesame Seared Ahi Salad

Before I start, you must know that I nearly risked my life to offer a seafood recipe. My marriage contract clearly states a few no, no's and one of them is "no seafood". None. As a matter of fact, I can't even make it for myself because the smell sends hubby over the edge and into fits of terror and flashbacks from traditional Italian Christmas Eve's past. In case you're not familiar, traditional Italian Christmas Eve is a feast of about 900 kinds of fish and other sea food. Absolutely no meat of any kind. That is, until they bring out tables of it at 12:01am Christmas day. If you're not to keen on fish to begin with, I'm sure this can be quite traumatizing. I've tried all along to respect this wish, but I think it's time to bring out this recipe. It's worth the risk.

This is the easiest fish recipe out there. I've had it at several restaurants with a side of massive price tag. It's really too bad that they charge so much. It's a couple of ingredients and about three minutes of work. The number one thing you have to do is buy your Ahi carefully. Personally, I will buy my Ahi at Bristol Farms or Whole Foods. If you are a fish eater, you will know where to buy it. If you are new to buying fish I would take the time to call the store and ask what day they get their fresh catch in. The last word of advice is to buy "sushi grade" That way you know you are getting the best. You only need a small portion for each person you are feeding so it shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg.

What you'll need:

Sushi grade Ahi steaks (think smallish)

sesame seeds

black sesame seeds

red pepper flakes

bag o' salad greens (the one that looks like weeds)

olive oil

For the dressing:

2/3 cup rice wine vinegar (no sugar, no salt)

4T sesame oil

2tsp soy sauce

a few drops of Syrachi hot sauce (Tabasco works too)

What you do:

Put a generous handful of sesame seeds on a small plate. Sprinkle in some black sesame seeds to give contrast. Add in a few shakes of red pepper flakes and swirl around on the plate to mix. Coat the Ahi with the sesame seeds on all sides. They should adhere without any trouble. Set aside.

Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a Tupperware or jar and shake like crazy. Divide the salad mix amongst your plates and set aside.

Now you are ready to sear your Ahi. Get a pan hot with olive oil. You want it so hot that the olive oil is just to the smoke point. For those of you that are used to cooking with coconut oil you could use that instead because you can get the pan hot without the smoke. Turn your vent on full blast so your smoke detectors don't start screaming. With tongs in hand, bow respectfully to the Ahi and transfer it to the hot pan. Watch it carefully. You want a nice sear but don't want to burn the sesame seeds. Look at the side of the fish. You will see where it is cooking from the bottom because the color will turn from red to grey. When you see this turn the fish over and do the same with the other side. It should remain red in the middle. Remember, you bought "sushi grade" for a reason. And that reason is to serve it rare.

Repeat until you have all pieces cooked. Let the pieces of fish rest for about five minutes. Use a SHARP knife to cut slices of Ahi and put it on top of the lettuce. Drizzle with the dressing. This is such a pretty dish, you may even want to take a picture of this one and hang it on the wall. A designer meal without the designer price tag. How fun is that!