Fish with Mango-Avocado

This dish came together this winter when salmon, avocadoes and mangos were all on special.  For the salmon at least, this is an easy variation of Plantation Fish. Since we were in Colorado at the time and I usually had a fresh batch of flour tortillas, I served the pieces of fish on a tortilla.  Very well received at a couple of dinner gatherings.

Back East, I did a similar thing (without tortillas) with fresh cod/haddock. Instead of the Salmon Rub I used Cilantro Pesto and it was equally tasty. 

Both recipes serve 2 - with a very generous amount of  "salad," scale accordingly.

SALMON VERSION

2/3 pound salmon filet

Drizzle filet with: 

1 T fresh lime juice 

Then sprinkle with:

~1 t Salmon Rub (more or less to taste - I sprinkle on until filet is lightly but completely covered)

~1/4 t cumin (sprinkle lightly over the filet)

Let sit for at least an hour.

Meanwhile make the "salad" by mixing:

1 mango, peeled and cut in chunks

1 avocado, peeled and cut in chunks

1T fresh lime juice

Cook fish in a slow (325 degree F) oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until temperature reaches 120 degrees (should be custard-like at this temperature) or 130 degrees F max. Alternatively grill over a low fire.

Just before fish is ready, mix into the "salad":

~1/3 c cilantro leaves, very coarsley chopped.

Place fish on a warmed tortilla (optional) and top with the "salad".

WHITE FISH VERSION (WORKS WELL WITH SALMON TOO)

2/3 pound cod or haddock filet

Coat with:

1 oz.  Coriander Sauce (Cilantro Pesto)

Return to refrigerator if not cooking immediately.

Make "salad" as above. Cook fish in 350 degree F oven or grill until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork - time will depend on thickness of filet. 

Serve with "salad" and additional cilantro pesto (optional - I usually don't).

Shaved Zucchini Salad

After several days on our boat there are fewer vegetable options. Zucchihi keeps for a long time on the shelf of our ice box so we grill a lot of zucchini. It was a hot night and we weren't planning to grill, so what to do with the zucchini? I thought of a shaved zucchini pizza we had recently at Three Tomatoes.  I had been intending to use shaved zucchini with pasta, but it was too hot a night for pasta.  Then I remembered Shaved Asparagus Salad. I didn't have scallions, but I did have a have basil (rooted basil keeps for a very long time in water).  Recipe serves 2, scale accordingly.

Wash and dry

2 small zucchihi, remove the stems and cut in half lengthwise

Using a vegetable peeler, thinly slice the zucchini, starting at one edge, into thin ribbons.  Use a sharp knife to slice any residual pieces into small, thin pieces.




Put the shaved zucchini into a bowl, The make the dressing by combining:

2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t fresh lemon juice
Pepper to taste
2 T thinly sliced basil (and/or 2-3 thinly sliced scallions)

Add the dressing to the salad and gently toss.






Top with freshly grated Parmesean.









Reviewed 6/18/2017

Israeli (pearl) Couscous with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Until recently the only place I had had Israeli couscous was at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. The MRL couscous was mixed with an assortment of veggies and was delicious, so much better than the smaller almost sawdust-like couscous with which I was familiar. Last month when I saw boxes of Israeli couscous at Trader Joe's, thinking of past dinners at Moosilauke, I impulsively put a box in my basket.  My first attempt to cook it with pistachios and apricots was okay. I got more couscous in Whole Foods bulk food and tried this. Superb first try.

This dish is a variation of Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes. The sauce, (tomatoes, basil and garlic) is pretty much the same, but the pasta and pasta preparation is different. Yes, pasta,. Though its shape and texture suggest grain-like qualities, couscous is made from semolina and part of the pasta family.






Combine in bowl, mix and marinate for about an hour:

1 pint (~ 3/4 pound) cherry tomatoes, preferably multi-colored, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil

Warm a medium sauce pan, drizzle ~ 2 t olive oil over the bottom, heat then add:

1 c (~5.5 ounces) Israeli couscous

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until couscous is browned, about 4 minutes.  Then add:

1 1/2 c chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegan/vegetarian)

Bring to simmer then cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes.  Stir and set aside, covered.

Add to tomato mixture:

~3/4 ounce basil leaves, slivered

Mix well,  then toss with couscous and serve.  When using this sauce with other pasta (linguine, gemelli, etc) I top with grated Parmesan. This dish, however, perhaps due to the richness of the broth and the robust flavor of the couscous, seems complete as is.

Reviewed 5/30/2017

Moosilauke Whole Wheat Batter Bread

Ed and I spent a wonderful (though very cold) night at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge recently. The food as always was yummy but for me the highlights were the Whole Wheat Batter Bread at dinner and the Sticky Buns* at breakfast.  John, one of the crew members, gave me the recipe for the bread, adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads.  After reading the recipe, I asked John what gave the bread the wonderful topping. He said he had topped the hot bread with some micro-waved honey and a handful of oats.

Because this bread is so easy to make, and because bread for sandwiches is often hard to find when cruising,  I'm eager to try this recipe (without honey topping) on the boat next summer!

NOTE:  This recipe makes 2 medium loaves of bread.

Grease (I used butter) 2 medium 8" x 4" bread pans.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

6 c whole wheat flour [Dip and sweep if you measure. I weigh and use ~ 30.6 ounces King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour]
1/4 c sugar
1 t salt
2 packages [4 1/2 t] dry yeast [or 3 t instant dry yeast]

Mix well. Gradually pour in

3 1/2 c warm (120 - 130 degrees F) water

Mix, about 50 strokes, to blend.

Divide the batter between the two greased bread pans.

Cover each pan with waxed paper [buttered on the side that touches the bread] and let sit 30 minutes.

Preheat oven [not convection mode though Mr. Clayton advises "if using a convection oven, reduce heat 40 degrees for each bake period"] to 400 degrees F. Put a small pan on the bottom shelf.

After the bread has risen for 30 minutes, place pans on middle rack in the 400 degrees F oven. When putting bread in the oven put 8-12 ice cubes in the small pre-heated pan. Cook for 15 minutes then
REDUCE HEAT to 350 degrees F and cook for an additional 45 minutes. Remove bread from oven.

Let cool a few minutes then remove bread from the pan and place on wire rack to cool.  If the Moosilauke honey-oatmeal topping is desired, warm in microwave

3 T honey

Using a pastry brush, spread over the top of the loaves, then sprinkle top of loaf with

2 - 3 T oatmeal

© 2012 Edward C Kern, Jr.

And what did we do to work off all this delicious food?  A morning hike up Mount Moosilauke. While the low forty degree F temperatures, brisk wind and clouds shrouding the top of the mountain gave us pause, our decision to hike was well rewarded. The hike up Gorge Brook Trail was sheltered from the wind and as we approached the summit, the clouds lifted and the sun came out briefly, illuminating small spruce and grasses covered with snow.  Indeed a magical moment!

© 2012 Edward C Kern, Jr.

If you nail this recipe, and hopefully you will,  cool :-) If you wish you'd done better, for a wandering discussion on how I finally made a loaf comparable to Moosilauke's see Notes on Bread-making.

* The recipe for the Sticky Buns (in progress, photo at left), for now at least, did not make the Cook's Cache cut - too much butter and much more complicated than this bread to prepare.  The recipe, adapted from the King Arthur Cookbook, can be found in the Famous for Fine Food and Favorite Recipes from Moosilauke Ravine Lodge.

Reviewed 5/8/17

Tabouli

(AKA Tabbouleh/Tabouleh/Tabbouli)

Chris came sailing with us last weekend and to my pre-weekend query of, "What should I not forget to have on board? He replied, "Sunchips and/or dark russet chips. Stuff for tabouli. Oh, also omelettes/boat toast/pancakes, of course but that was obvious." Umm.  I have to admit tabouli has been a "locker staple" on the boat. "Locker staple" meaning I stow a few of the packages of the Fantastic World Foods Tabouli Salad (mostly bulgar plus some dried spices).  If I can scrounge up a couple of vine ripe tomatoes and a cuke along the coast, we have a lunch or dinner salad.  But since this was a real request I decided I'd better make the real thing. After consulting a few recipes I decided on my own version.  Even Chris had no suggestions for improvement.

Combine:

3/4 c fine or medium grind bulgar (I used Arrowhead Mills organic bulgar wheat)
1 c + 2 T boiling water

Cover and soak until bulgar is tender.

When the water has been absorbed (~ 30 minutes) or longer add:

2 c minced fresh parsley leaves
1 c minced fresh mint leaves
2 c cored chopped tomatoes
1 c chopped cucumber (I used 2 Persian cukes)
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

If refrigerated after mixed, remove ~half an hour before serving.

This is good served alone or added to pocket bread which has been sliced in half and spread with hummus.

Reviewed 5/29/2017

Cruising the Farmer's Markets

As I mentioned in "About Cook's Cache" food shopping, especially for fresh ingredients, while cruising in Maine can be challenging. Good grocery stores within easy walking distance of harbors are few and far between; and stores which used to be at least marginal now dedicate most of their shelf space to beer, wine and snack food to be purchased at high prices by the passengers the windjammer crews bring ashore.

The emergence of farmer's markets have brought all sorts of wonderful food within easy walking distance of our anchored or moored boat, particularly in Hancock and Knox counties. This year, we first replenished our galley at the Northeast Farmer's Market.  A friend got there early and brought me a huge bag of field greens and another of arugula as well as beets, spring onions and scallions.  Ed grilled the spring onions and we shared them with our friends that evening. When we arrived in Northeast about eleven o'clock, I went to the market to see what was left.  I got some chicken, beef and goat cheese from Sunset Acres Farm and Dairy.  Though the Chicago Tribune article praising their Sea Smoke cheese was prominently displayed, none was left. I purchased some Gaurdian goat cheese which was excellent. I also purchased a box of raspberries from one of the few remaining vendors.

Our real "stock up day" came the following week at the Stonington Farmer's Market.  It opens at ten but lines for various vendors form well before then. We stood in line at the Hackmatack Farm stand where we purchased excellent field greens, very fresh and with some bite similar to the ones (same vendor?) from Northeast Harbor, tiny zucchini and wild Maine blueberries.  Since we came well stocked with maple syrup and Arrowhead Mills Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix (just add water and oil) we not only had blueberries for dessert but on pancakes for several breakfasts. 

While standing in line we inquired about the various bread vendors and were directed to Tinder Hearth where we purchased some excellent sourdough white bread and some sourdough spelt bread. We ate the white bread first and, as the baker promised it would, the spelt bread lasted well for several days as we travelled down the coast.


For eggs, chicken and beef we returned to Sunset Acres Farm and Dairy.  When I inquired about the Sea Smoke goat cheese I had missed at Northeast, the farmer quickly grabbed the last piece of this cheese from a display and handed it to me.  It was indeed delicious. We remembered the great fish truck from last year and returned to get crabmeat (from The Lobster Shack, Stonington, Maine), and local swordfish and tuna.  The vendor told us the crab was very fresh would last for several days; she was correct. Since I had brought miso and wasabi from home we were able to use two of our favorite recipes for the fish:

Tuna Steaks with Wasabi Butter and Salmon with Red Miso Sauce

Our bags full, we walked the mile back to Billings Marine where we had left Condor for our hour and one half round trip excursion to the market.

Reviewed 9/20/2017

Strawberry Short (Pan)cakes

1996

One of the few times a year I buy whipping cream is strawberry season.  In addition to Strawberry Shortcake I use it to make one of Christopher's favorite breakfasts - pancakes with strawberries, maple syrup and whipped cream. Since I most often make pancakes on the boat I use a mix, Arrowhead Mills Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix*.  While this mix is good using just vegetable oil and water, if I have skim milk available, I use the milk instead of water. When making this on board a whipped cream maker is especially useful.

Alternate pancakes with sliced, slightly mashed strawberries and top with whipped cream and maple syrup.  This is also good with frozen sliced, mashed strawberries.

December 2013: Leftover strawberries and cream again beg for pancakes and maple syrup....

Strawberry stains on that crisp blue shirt? See Make Strawberry Stains Vanish.

* May 2017: For pancakes from scratch see Alex's Almond Pancakes.





Reviewed 5/12/17

Boat Toast

Known in other circles as "French Toast", boat toast was the breakfast of choice (no toaster on board) when Ed and his sister Alison were cruising with their parents aboard Alised. Boat toast has likewise become a favorite breakfast aboard Condor. Most often made from a random assortment of bread about to go stale (When crusing, I never know when we might find the next bread supply so I tend to over stock.) This is truly awesome when made with fairly think chunks of a baguette (as shown in the photo at left). I so casually mix the milk and eggs that in preparation for actually writing this recipe I consulted Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (original edition/1998) for a more professional ratio.

4 servings

In a medium sized flat bowl/pan combine:

2 eggs (or as I usually do use 1/2 cup "egg product" )
1 cup milk

If you like very mushy French toast and tend to soak the bread rather than dip it, you will need more batter than this. Also since the size and absorbency of bread differs greatly it is hard to predict exactly how much batter will be needed; I tend to add more milk and or egg as needed as I am soaking the bread.

Preheat a large griddle over medium heat.

Beat the egg and milk mixture well.

In this egg and milk mixture, start soaking:

6 or more pieces of bread, depending on size (figure 1 1/2 to 2 pieces of regular bread per person or 3 - 5 baguette slices, depending on the bread diameter and the ages and appetites of your crew))

Soak so that the mixture throughly permeates the bread.

Coat the griddle with:

Butter or  butter alternative such as Earth Balance, then place the soaked bread on the griddle. Sprinkle:

Ground cinnamon

on top before turning the bread and then sprinkle more cinnamon on the other side. Cook until nicely browned on both sides, adding more butter/oil when turning the toast to re-coat the griddle.

Serve hot with maple syrup.  Even better when topped with Maine blueberries too.

Reviewed 5/10/17

Revised 1/7/25

Pork with Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce

Serves 4.

Make marinade by mixing together:

1 T Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce*
1 T Balsamic Vinegar
1 T Tamari/Soy Sauce
1 T Orange Juice

Pour marinade over:

~ 1- 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin or 4 small boneless pork medallions

Turn pork to be sure all surfaces are well coated with the marinade. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours; remove from refrigerator one-half hour before cooking.

Before or while cooking pork make Onion Sauce:

In a small skillet heat:

2 t olive oil

Add:

1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and very thinly sliced.

Sauté until onion is wilted and golden, then add:

2-3 T Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce

Grill or roast pork until done (150 degrees F), basting with any remaining marinade; time will vary given hotness of grill; medium temperature for ~ 20 minutes for a tenderloin. NOTE: If using a tenderloin it is best to let it sit for about 10 minutes before slicing, temperature should rise about 5 degrees in this time so set meat thermometer accordingly.

Serve pork medallions or sliced tenderloin topped with Onion Sauce.

VARIATION:
Add 1 thinly sliced pear half-way through cooking onions.










VARIATION:
Use just the marinade without the additional sauce:

* Goal is to make my own fig sauce, but until I do, I use this which is available at many markets both in the East and the West.






Reviewed 6/13/2017

Salmon with Red Miso Sauce

Believe it or not this recipe comes from Christopher (more or less, he never gives me actual measurements) who gave up fish from the summer he caught a bluefish off the Annisquam Canal (in 1992 and we ate it for most of the next week) until the chefs at Google convinced him that fish could be tasty (2000).






For 2 people

Marinate

~2/3 pound skinless wild salmon. pin bones removed (I opt for the thicker end, and usually cook with skin on), in a well blended mixture of:

1 T red miso
1 t soy sauce
1 t sesame seed oil
1 T orange/lime juice
2 T dark brown sugar


If cooking with skin on, place salmon on a piece of aluminum foil with edges of foil slightly turned up to contain any dripping marinade.

Cook on grill or broil basting frequently for about 5 minutes a side or 10 minutes total if cooking on foil (a little more or less depending on thickness). If the fish is not skinless, remove from aluminum foil leaving cooked skin on the foil.

Serve sprinkled with:

Toasted sesame seeds (my addition).

I love serving this in the spring topped with:

1 bunch baby scallions, bottoms trimmed, basted in olive oil and lightly grilled (if baby scallions are not available, (uncooked) chopped scallion greens also work).


VARIATION:

Use orange juice not lime juice and instead of salmon use 21-25 count shrimp, 6-7 per person; skewer and grill or broil  ~3 minutes per side, about 5- 6 minutes total, until firm and pink.







Reviewed 5/23/2017

Jason's/Pris's Granola

This is a recipe from Jason’s vegetarian days in Alaska (early 1970s). Although the recipe does not specify stirring, I stir the mixture several time while baking.

July 2014 --- My usual "home breakfast" is a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter or a meatless breakfast sandwich (egg and cheese on a whole wheat english muffin).  But we're heading to Maine soon and English muffins don't toast well on Condor.  I usually buy some granola for the early morning starts, and I'm usually disappointed. Too sweet for my taste. 

Then I remembered this recipe, a forgotten boat staple. In this revival, I skipped the sunflower seeds, remembering how much I liked the Pear Crisp topping, used half brown sugar and half maple syrup and finished with Maple Walnuts and dried cranberries.   As previously stated stirring is important, as well as watching to see mixture does not overbrown.  I cooked at 325 degrees for 30 minutes,  then for 10 minutes at 300 degrees F..  Since the mix looked pretty browned by then, I added the nuts and fruit, stirred well and cooked a final 10 minutes at 250 degrees F.   I made only 2/3 of the recipe which filled a large cookie sheet.

Mix together:

1 c brown sugar [I use half brown sugar, half maple syrup - 

NOTE: have reduced to 1/4 c brown sugar and 1/4 c maple syrup > Perfect sweetness!]

1 t salt [I omit]
½ c canola oil [I use olive oil]
½ c water
1 t vanilla
1 c sunflower seeds [I omit]



Then add:

18 oz oatmeal, not the quick cook kind [I use 21 oz]
7 oz shredded coconut [~2 2/3 c - think this was based on the size of the bag, I use 4 oz] 

1 c wheat germ [I usually omit]

Mix well. Bake at 300-325 degrees F for 45 minutes [My recipe takes two cookie sheets - I actually use a 17" x 12" cookie sheet and a 13" x 9" deeper baking pan - the latter works better for stirring, would use two of those if availabe. I find 30 - 40 minutes total in a 300 degree F convection oven is usually plenty - the cookie sheet contents browns the fastest.} 

1 c chopped nuts [my favorite is to add 1 c  Maple Walnuts  after baking - but omit for "plain granola"]
1 c raisins or currants [I usually use dried cranberries - but omit for "plain granola"]

Bake additional 15 minutes [I don't bake after adding nuts/dried craanberries, just 30 - 40 minutes total before additions.] Cool completely in pan before storing in closed container.

August 2014: Big mistake! Instead of halving the recipe, I should have doubled it.  We are on our way to Maine and this is my breakfast. So much better than the store bought granolas of previous years. Ed likes it too. It is going to disappear very fast.

June 2015:VARIATION  Strawberries are in season and I was looking for a cereal to complement the berries.  Often I've chosen a cornflake variant, but this year I used a variation of this recipe. By reduced the sweetness (1/3 c maple syrup and 1/3 c brown sugar) and omitting the nuts and currants, I made a not-so-sweet "plain granola" that went really well with the berries. 

November 2024: Note recipe above: maple syrup and sugar is further reduced to 1/4 c each and oats increased to 21 oz. My go to breakfast now is plain non fat yogurt topped with 1/2 cup of "plain granola", a small handfull of chopped walnuts and some pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries.

Reviewed 5/12/17

Revised 12/21/23

Revised  11/21/2024: brown sugar, maple syrup and oat quantities changed

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Stuffed Grape Leaves are a Condor favorite, especially on cold overnight sails.

Because the meat is added raw to the stew, all of the fat remains in the sauce; to reduce the fat, cook meat first and drain/blot off the fat (see Scrambled Hamburger). Alternatively try the vegetarian Dolmadakia . This recipe is more like a "stew" and as such is not a good candidate for hors d'oeuvres while the Dolmadakia make an excellent hors d'oeuvres or meze dish.

The recipe below is from the original New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne

1 quart jar of grape leaves
2 pounds ground lean lamb or beef [use the leanest beef you can purchase]
1 c raw rice, washed and drained
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 t thyme
1 t oregano
1 small onion, grated [I chop finely]
2 T butter [use 1 T olive oil]
3 large onions, sliced
2 quarts canned tomatoes

1. Wash the grape leaves thoroughly in cold water to remove the salt.

2. Mix the meat [see note above re: cooking first] with the rice, pepper, thyme, oregano and grated onion.

3. In a large kettle heat the butter [olive oil], add the sliced onions and cook until transparent. Add half the tomatoes and heat.

4. Stuff the grape leaves (not too tightly) with the meat mixture, using about one tablespoon of the mixture for each leaf [depending on size of leaf; use more for larger leaves]. Shape each into a neat package [roll jelly roll style, tucking in the ends about half-way through rolling] and place gently in the hot tomato sauce.  [Technique photos]

4. Heat the remaining tomatoes and pour over the top. Cover and simmer forty-five minutes to one hour.[If meat is pre-cooked simmer just until stuffed grape leaves are heated through.]

Reviewed 5/7/17

(Basil) Pesto Sauce

When Alexandra was about two years old, linguine with pesto sauce used to be our standard Sunday night supper on the boat before driving home to Cambridge. Linguine with pesto rolled on a fork, then dipped in Parmesan cheese was referred to as a “trolley-rolley” (both words pronounced with long "o").




Combine in food processor bowl fitted with metal blade and chop finely:

2 c fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

2-3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese*
1/3 c olive oil (I use just enough so all ingredients blend smoothly)

Add:

¼ c pine nuts or walnuts

Pulse to chop fine but not so fine that all texture is lost.

This can be refrigerated (or kept in boat ice box) in a tightly sealed container for 2-3 weeks. But if you don’t intend to use within a week, I would suggest freezing.

If pesto is frozen in an ice cube tray (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) it can be thawed in small quantities.

*IF I am freezing or going to store in the boat icebox, I don’t put Parmesan cheese in the sauce. Rather I serve Parmesan cheese with the pesto.

Reviewed 6/20/2017

Tuna Steaks with Wasabi Butter

6 or 4 servings

This recipe is adapted from a recipe of same name from Sarah Leah Chase’s Cookbook Nantucket Open House  My recipe has fewer ingredients and makes considerably less marinade so turning the fish is even more important.

Make marinade; below first is Ms. Chase’s recipe for 6 servings (3 to 3 1/2 pounds tuna) then my version for 4 servings (~1½ to 1¾ - pounds tuna; May 2017 I now figure 1/4 pound or just a bit more/person). When buying tuna do not count any black area (best not to eat) in figuring amount per person.

This is a boat favorite when tuna is in season and easily obtainable along the coast.

CHASE VERSION

Make marinade by combining:

¼ c sesame oil
½ c vegetable oil
¼ rice wine vinegar
2 T sweet vermouth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ c soy sauce
2 T chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced

In this marinade place:

3 to 3 ½ pounds tuna, about 1 1/2 inches thick

MY VERSION

Make marinade by combining:

2 T sesame oil
4 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
2 T soy sauce
1 T finely chopped/grated fresh ginger

In this marinade place:

~1½ to 1¾ pounds tuna, about 1 1/2 inches thick

FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS FOR BOTH RECIPES

Marinate for 1 to 4 hours in shallow pan placed in refrigerator, turning the fish occasionally.

Remove tuna from marinade and place on heated grill. As tuna cooks, baste with some of the remaining marinade. Grill until tuna is warmed through but still red/pink in the middle. I like it rare - red in the middle  - see photo at left. Cooking time will depend on heat of grill and thickness of tuna. Chase cooks 5 to 6 minutes each side, we cook less. Tuna will keep cooking after it is removed from the grill.*

Serve with wasabi butter made by mixing:

CHASE VERSION

½ c unsalted butter at room temp
1½ t green wasabi paste**
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

MY VERSION

3T unsalted butter
green wasabi powder to taste***
1T chives, finely chopped (optional)

* Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking writes, "Some dense-fleshed fish, including tuna and salmon,are especially succulent at 120 degrees F, when still slightly translucent and jelly-like." (p 209)

** If using powdered wasabi, make wasabi paste by mixing green wasabi powder and water to a paste-like consistency, then mix with butter. Amount of wasabi used will depend both on the hotness of the wasabi and individual taste.

** *May 2017: Note:  There is a great variation in  powered "wasabi:". some is mostly all horseradish and mustard and some is 100% wasabi.  Christopher introduced me to the latter, Sushi Sonic Real Wasabi. when he was living in Brooklyn.  The ultimate, he tells me, is fresh wasabi, but even in NYC this is dufficult to find.

Reviewed 5/22/2017  

Revised 1/5/2025 note * added