Seared Tuna on Wonton Crisp with Avocado Wasabi Aioli and Pickled Cucumber

This tuna wonton crisp starter recipe has got us saying OMGenius! Chef Chris Lee is as creative as he is talented.

1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp white sesame seeds toasted
1 tsp coriander seed
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
¼ c. kosher salt
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. sesame oil
1 ea. Ahi tuna steak
¼ c. seedless cucumber peeled and finely diced
1 ripe avocado
½ tsp chopped garlic
1 lime
½ c. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp wasabi
¼ c mayo
2 ea green onion
6 c.  canola oil
1 pkg wonton wrappers

For the Wonton Crisps:

Heat canola oil in heavy bottom pot to 375 f. Cut wonton wrappers corner to corner to get 4 equal triangles per sheet wrapper. Place a few layers of paper towels on a cookie sheet or a plate to drain the oil off the crisps once they are fried. You may also use a cooling rack for this. Once the oil has reached 375 f, pick up a wonton triangle by the corner edge and slowly lower into the hot oil. Use a pair of tongs to make sure that it does not curl up. You can fry as many at once as you feel comfortable managing. Once it has turned golden brown remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Lightly salt them before using.

For the Aioli:

Add the following ingredients to a food processor fitted with the chopping blade:

Avocado
Juice of ½ the lime
Garlic
1 green onion chopped
Wasabi

Puree the ingredients until smooth and fold into the mayo. Season with salt and fresh pepper and place into a Ziploc bag and place in refrigerator.

For the Pickled Cucumber:

In a mixing bowl whisk the rice wine vinegar, sugar and 2 tbsp of kosher salt until dissolved. Next add the cucumber and let sit for at least 2 hours.

For the Tuna:

Mix the sesame seeds, coriander, cracked pepper and 1 ½ tsp kosher salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Pat the tuna steak dry and press into the spice mixture, making sure all sides are equally coated. Preheat a skillet to smoking hot and add the sesame oil Once the oil is hot, carefully lower the tuna into the pan with a pair of tongs. Make sure to lower the tuna pointing away from you to mitigate any splashing of oil back towards you. Cooking time of the tuna will depend on the thickness of the steak. Typically the length of those is around 30-45 seconds per side for a 1 ½ inch thick steak.

To Assemble the Appetizer:

Place wonton crisps on the serving dish. Slice tuna as thin as possible and place one slice on each crisp. Trim a small piece off the corner of the Ziploc bag to squeeze a dollop of aioli in the center of each slice of tuna. Drain pickling liquid from cucumbers and spoon the desired amount on top of each appetizer. Thinly slice green onion top on a bias and garnish.

We hope you enjoy this tuna wonton crisp starter. For more recipes check out these other recipes from Chef Chris and Friends of Fish The Nush. Find more amazing Alaska seafood recipes on Fish Alaska’s website.