Published with permission from Ramen, 80 Easy Noodle Bowls and Broths by Makiko Sano
Japan is a country with a string of islands making up its whole, and this is, naturally enough, the reason fish is so important in the cuisine. Of all fish, tuna is held in the highest esteem. Tataki is a method of searing the outside of tuna while leaving the inside a vibrant pink.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons groundnut (peanut) oil or grapeseed oil
- 150 g (5 oz) sashimi-grade tuna (ideally cut into a rectangular block)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 white onion
- 1 tablespoon ginger purée
- 800 ml (28 fl oz/3 cups) water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock powder
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 2 x 120 g (4 oz/2 nests) fresh Chinese noodles
TOPPINGS
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
- Spring onions (scallions), sliced (optional)
Method
- Warm a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the groundnut or grapeseed oil. When the oil is hot, sear the block of tuna for 30 seconds on each side. Set the tuna, still in the warm pan, aside for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, place the tuna on a plate and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes (this makes it much easier to slice thinly, to display in your ramen bowl).
- Transfer the excess oil from the tuna pan into a large saucepan.
- Very finely chop the garlic, julienne the carrot and thinly slice the onion. Add to the saucepan with the ginger purée and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
- Now add the water, soy sauce, chicken stock powder, oyster sauce and salt and pepper to the pan. Stir for another 5–7 minutes until the carrots soften.
- Cook the fresh Chinese noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and divide between 2 serving bowls. Pour the vegetable soup broth over.
- Take the tuna out of the fridge and neatly slice into 5 mm (1⁄4 in) slices with a sharp knife. Arrange the tuna over the bowls and top with sesame seeds, coriander and, if desired, chopped spring onions.