Pacific rim flavours are now so much a part of our cuisine, it is hard to remember a time when we didn’t take them for granted. This salad brings so many flavours and textures together to create a delicious main course salad.
Ingredients:
For the salad: For dressing:
4 x 150g. tuna steaks 125ml. olive oil
4 tablespoons sesame seeds 60ml. fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons black onion seeds (nigella) 60ml. orange juice
250g. mixed baby salad leaves 50ml. soy sauce
1 small red chilli, minced 50ml. rice vinegar
8 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal 40ml. toasted sesame oil
100g. baby corn ½ bunch minced fresh chives
150g. snow peas, trimmed 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
8 wonton wrappers, cut into thin strips
Method:
First, make the dressing. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar sesame oil, chives and ginger in small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a little oil in a frypan or wok and add the chilli, spring onions, baby corn and snow peas, tossing over a high until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the hot vegetables to a bowl and drizzle over a little of the dressing. Set aside.
Mix the sesame seeds and black onion seeds on a flat plate and season the fish with salt and pepper. Press the fish into the seed mixture, coating both sides evenly.
Heat a little more oil in the same frypan used for the vegetables. Add the tuna and sear over a high heat until the fish is just cooked through. Transfer to a platter and when cool, use a sharp knife to slice each fillet thinly.
To prepare the wontons, heat some vegetable oil in a wok or frypan and when smoking, add the strips of wonton and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on absorbant paper. Add salt to taste.
Toss the lettuce leaves with the cooked vegetable mixture and a little more dressing, tossing thoroughly so that the leaves are well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the lettuce mixture between 4 plates and top with the seared tuna slices. Arrange a bundle of fried wonton strips on top.
