Spice Cured Tuna Tacos Recipes

SPICE-CURED TUNA TACOS

Steps:

• Slice the tuna into 1cm strips, then dice into rough 1cm cubes. Drizzle over the olive oil and scatter over the lime zest, stir and put in the fridge for 20 mins or so. Gently toast the cumin and coriander in a small frying pan, then tip into a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt and the chilli flakes and crush to a coarse powder. Stir the spice mix into the tuna with the lime juice and put the bowl back in the fridge for at least 10 mins or up to 1 hr.
• To make the avocado purée, put all the ingredients in a food processor with a pinch of salt and blitz until you have a smooth purée, adding a little oil if it's too thick to blitz. Spoon the mixture into a container.
• If you like your tacos crispy, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, brush them with a little oil, place on a baking sheet and cook for 10-15 mins. To build each taco, spoon on some avocado purée and spread out to the edge. Spoon on the spiced tuna and sprinkle over the chillies, pomegranate seeds, coriander and spring onions, drizzle with more oil and add a lime wedge to the plate. Eat with your hands, if soft, or a knife and fork if crispy.

TUNA TACOS

Steps:

• For the ginger pickled carrots: Combine the sugar, vinegar and 2 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a plastic container and let cool completely.
• Once cooled, add the carrots and ginger to the pickling liquid¿make sure they are completely covered by the liquid. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before using (24 hours is best).
• For the sweet potato puree: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pierce the skins of the sweet potatoes and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. (Leave the oven on for heating up the tortillas.)
• Once cooked, cut the sweet potatoes in half and scoop the flesh into a food processor. Add the butter and honey and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Hold hot until ready to plate.
• For the tuna: Combine the Cajun seasoning and salt, and mix. Sprinkle the tuna pieces with the spice mixture. Heat a large saute pan over high heat until the pan begins to smoke. Add the grapeseed oil to the pan and then sear the tuna on two sides, leaving it rare in the center. Remove the tuna from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes.
• For the guacamole: Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl. Add the red onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice, and mash with a fork to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• To build the taco: Heat the tortillas in the oven just until warm, not crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the sweet potato puree onto each tortilla. Add a piece of tuna, then top with about 1 ounce of the pickled carrots and 1 tablespoon of the guacamole. Garnish with two sprigs of cilantro and serve.

SPICY TUNA TARTARE

Steps:

• Mix Japanese mayonnaise with sesame chili oil, sesame oil, and lemongrass paste in a mixing bowl.
• With freshly washed hands, dice tuna into small bits on a clean cutting board.
• Season diced tuna with garlic salt, and put into the bowl with the mayo mixture. Mix until tuna is evenly coated. Squeeze in lime juice, then mix in most of the chopped cilantro and scallion, reserving some for garnish.
• Garnish with remaining cilantro and scallion and serve.

FRESH TUNA TACOS

Steps:

• Combine oil, lime juice, vinegar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, chili powder, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Add tuna and coat well. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add small amounts of tuna at a time, turning every 10 to 15 seconds until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

CHARRED SPICED BONITO TACOS

Steps:

• Light the grill. In a medium-sized, nonreactive bowl, toss the fish with lime juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and Chipotle Rub. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate about 1 hour. Oil grill and cook fish over a hot fire until lightly charred and medium-rare (it should still be pink in the middle), about 3 minutes.
• In a warm bowl (so fish does not cool too much), shred fish. Taste for seasoning and sprinkle with a little more Chipotle Rub and lime juice, if needed. Top with radish and scallion and serve warm with salsa and tortillas.

CHILE-CRUSTED TUNA TACOS

Steps:

• Bring orange juice, chipotles, and vinegar to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a generous 1/3 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• While sauce cools, prepare charcoal or gas grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.
• While grill heats, stir together coriander, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and kosher salt in a shallow bowl. Brush tuna on all sides with 1 tablespoon oil (total), then coat all sides evenly with spice mixture.
• Grill tuna on lightly oiled rack, uncovered, turning to brown all sides, until browned on outside but still rare in center, 8 to 10 minutes total. Let tuna stand 10 minutes.
• While tuna stands, heat tortillas on grill, turning over once, until warm, about 1 minute, and keep warm, wrapped in foil.
• Toss jicama with cilantro, lime juice, remaining tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Halve, pit, and peel avocado, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Put a tortilla on each of 4 plates. Divide arugula, jicama, and avocado among tortillas, arranging evenly down center of each. Slice tuna 1/4 inch thick and divide among tacos. Drizzle chipotle sauce evenly over tuna and roll up tacos to enclose filling.