AlphaChef Technique - Its Easy To Make Tuna Look Good

The UB is always on my case not to be constantly swimming up stream and making everything difficult. I tell her its not like I am cooking so hard that I spawn a new dish and die. We're simply talking tuna here.

First Rule: ALMOST ALL SALTWATER FISH HAS BEEN FLASH FROZEN. This means you have a lot less to worry about except for 40 dollar a pound Japanese delicacy called Fugu or porcupine fish to you and me, and according to Wikipedia "Fugu contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in the organs, especially the liver, the ovaries, and the skin. The poison, a sodium channel blocker, paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious along with causing paralysis. The victim is unable to breathe, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is no known antidote. The standard treatment is to support the respiratory and circulatory systems until the poison dissipates."

Now back to tuna or almost all saltwater fish. Why is flash frozen fish so important?

The "Kori no Suizokukan" (Ice Aquarium)  displays around 450 specimens of fish from over 80 different species, flash frozen in a life-like state after being unloaded from fishing vessels at a nearby port.

It kills all the parasites. And yes, even that "fresh" 40 dollar a pound sushi grade tuna/snapper/salmon (not Steelhead; that's freshwater) get's flash frozen. Most fish is flash frozen right on the ship.

So this means, don't be scared to let your tuna be pink in the middle.

Now to the basic technique: Heat a pan on medium high. Take your tuna steak and sear each outside edge - usually for about 30 seconds. Then place one side of the tuna steak on the pan for 1 minute and then flip and repeat on the other side. remove from pan. Make sure your knife is really sharp. Slice across the grain. It makes the tuna softer to chew or gum if you are dentally challenged.

Advanced techniques. Marinate the tuna for twenty minutes in something before cooking it. Rub spices on the fish before cooking it. Pour a sauce on it after cooking it.

Most advanced technique. Eat it and don't choke.