Today's recipe by Chef Nick Musser spices up Ahi tuna with an intriguing five-spice seasoning.  Complementing the Asian influences of the five-spices is a warm fingerling potato salad with Wasabi vinaigrette.  This great summer meal provided by White Crane Winery (Livermore, CA) pairs well with their 2005 Pinot Noir.

Five-Spice Seared Ahi with Warm Fingerling Potato Salad and Wasabi Vinaigrette

by Chef Nick Musser 

• 4 6oz Ahi tuna steaks
• 3/4 lb fingerling potatoes
• 4 cups clean, stemmed spinach leaves
• 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2" on a bias
• 2 tomatoes, quartered, meat removed, small dice
• 4 hard boiled eggs, diced into quarters
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thin on a bias
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tblsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• Five-spice seasoning, see recipe below
• Wasabi vinaigrette, see recipe below

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes in a small pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then turn to medium low heat. Simmer until potatoes are just soft. Cool completely. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Place all but 1 tablespoon of the canola oil into an oven safe sauté pan and place over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully lay the potatoes, face down, in the pan. Place into the hot oven and roast for 10 minutes. Place the spinach, tomatoes, celery, green onions and eggs into a large mixing bowl. While the potatoes are cooking rub the Ahi steaks with the remaining tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 5-spice seasoning. Use about 1 tsp of seasoning per steak.

Heat another sauté pan over medium high heat until hot. Gently lay the Ahi steaks into the pan and sear for 60 seconds per side. Deglaze pan with the soy sauce and lime juice. Allow the liquid to reduce to syrup and coat the steaks in the syrupy mixture. Set aside until salad is finished. Remove the potatoes and carefully pour the potatoes and hot oil into the waiting mixing bowl. The hot oil and potatoes will wilt the spinach slightly. Add half of the Wasabi Vinaigrette and toss.

Place equal amounts of the salad on 4 serving plates. Bunch into tight mounds in the center of each plate. Slice the Ahi into 6 thin slices per steak and fan over the top of the mound of salad. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with White Crane 2005 Pinot Noir Reserve.

Wasabi Vinaigrette

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tblsp. wasabi powder
• 1 Tblsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tblsp. white wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tblsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil

Place all ingredients except the oil into a food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly drizzle olive oil into running processor until mixture is thick and emulsified. Roast peppercorns, fennel, clove and star anise in a dry skillet until toasted and fragrant. Grind whole spices in a spice or coffee grinder and mix with coriander and salt. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Aromatic 5-Spice Seasoning

• 1 Tblsp. Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 Tblsp. star anise
• 1 Tblsp. fennel seed
• 1 tsp. whole cloves
• 1 Tblsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 cup salt

Combine all ingredients.  

About White Crane 2005 Pinot Noir Reserve (Santa Lucia Highlands)

A wonderful handcrafted wine exhibiting wonderful cherry notes, dark berry, plum and spice flavors, wrapped in hints of toasty oak.  An elegant full bodied Pinot Noir with a nice, long finish.

About White Crane Winery

Perched atop Crane Ridge overlooking the beautiful Livermore Valley wine country is where you will discover White Crane Winery, one of the premier Livermore wineries. Guests enjoy a wide variety of small lot - limited production ultra premium wines. Our award winning wines are available through our wine club, wine tasting room and special events.

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