What is the best sauce for ahi tuna when just searing it in a pan?

Question

I particularly like a hot spicy sauce. Had it once at a restaurant, but can't seem to duplicate it.

Answer 1

Ingredients
2 (6-8 ounce) ahi tuna steaks (3/4 of an inch thick)

Marinade ingredients
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 teaspoons of wheat-free tamari for gluten-free option)
1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion (scallion) thinly sliced (a few slices reserved for garnish)
1 teaspoon lime juice

Method
1 Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2 Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high to high heat. When the pan is hot, remove the tuna steaks from the marinade and sear them for a minute to a minute and a half on each side ( even a little longer if you want the tuna less rare than pictured.)

3 Remove from pan and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with a few green onion slices.

Can serve plain, with white rice, or over lettuce or thinly sliced cabbage or fennel. Shown served over sliced fennel salad.

The South Beach Diet Cookbook version seasons the tuna with salt, pink peppercorns and olive oil.

you can add red pepper to it if you want
or wasabi powder

Answer 2

Hmmm. Ahi is so good that it is fine without a sauce. A little garlic powder and black pepper or lemon pepper, or McCormack's Montreal Chicken Spice(this stuff is great on any fish or meat). Actually, I cook it on the bbq. Cut it into chunks about the size of golfballs. Wrap it in (thin sliced) bacon and add a some very thinly sliced green onions and mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms are great). My friend won a "king of the grill" bbq contest at the county fair with that bbq recipe. It is also fine without the mushrooms or onions. I suppose that a hot ginger garlic sauce with brown sugar, sesame oil, and thai peppers might be similar to what you are asking for. Bon Apetit!