Teriyaki Albacore Tuna Kabobs

Local Ocean Seafoods, Chef Enrique Sanchez-Rodriguez

We strive for zero waste at Local Ocean, and our tuna kabobs help achieve this goal by allowing us to utilize small - but perfectly tasty - pieces of trim. This dish incorporates two of our homemade sauces - the fish is marinated in teriyaki and the veggies are sautéed in our sesame chili sauce.

TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS: (per serving)

5 ounces fresh Albacore tuna loin

1⁄2 ounce fresh cilantro, chopped finely

6 ounces stir-fry vegetable mix (we use a custom medley of bell peppers, onions, fennel, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and celery)

3 ounces cooked yakisoba noodles (we use Eatwell Organic noodles, made fresh in Florence, OR)

1 fresh whole lime (2 quarter wedges per serving)

Salt & freshly ground pepper

2-3 tbsp oil for cooking

Bamboo skewers, soaked in water

1⁄2 cup sesame chile sauce (can substitute store-bought)

1⁄2 cup sweet teriyaki sauce (can substitute store-bought)

Sesame Chili Sauce (Makes 2 cups. Store extra sealed in the fridge for up to 3 months)

In the early days of the restaurant, several of our sauces were called “wacks” since we would put all the ingredients in a food processor and whack them together. This sauce is still lovingly called spicy wack in the prep kitchen – the funny spelling comes from working in a multi-language environment; “spell it like it sounds” is the rule of thumb in a lot of kitchens!

1 cup apple cider vinegar

3⁄4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp fermented black bean sauce (Lee Kum Kee is widely available in most grocery store’s Asian foods aisle)

3 tbsp chili garlic sauce (Huy Fong is a widely available brand)

4 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor or with a whisk until thoroughly combined

Sweet Teriyaki Sauce

1⁄2 cup sake

1⁄2 cup seasoned mirin

1⁄2 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar, granulated

Pinch garlic powder

Pinch arbol chile, ground

Pinch black pepper, ground

1⁄4 tsp potato starch

In a small bowl, whisk together the potato starch and a 1⁄4 cup mirin until smooth to create a slurry. Combine all remaining ingredients in pot. Slowly add slurry to pot with other ingredients while whisking.

Turn heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by 75%, or coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool in the fridge ahead of time.

STEPS:

1.        Prepare the tuna loin - If you plan to skewer the tuna, cut each portion into 3-4 equally thick slices, 3⁄4” to 1” thick. Marinate tuna with enough teriyaki sauce to coat all sides in a Ziplock bag and refrigerate, reserving the rest of the sauce for later. Let marinate 30- 45 min.

2.        Skewer the tuna - pull the tuna out of the bag and skewer the pieces lengthwise on skewers. Let rest at room temperature.

3. Cook the vegetables - Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat with 2 tbsp of cooking oil. When the oil is shimmering but not smoking, drop your veggies in and sauté for 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally. In the restaurant, we keep the veggies a little bit crunchy. You can cook them to your desired softness.

4.       While the veggies are cooking, prepare a separate pan or electric skillet for the tuna, heating to medium high.

5.       When the veggies are close to done, add the yakisoba noodles into the pan, mixing well with the veggies, and return to the heat. Add the sesame chili sauce, toss to combine. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and coats everything well. Turn off the heat.

6.       Cooking the tuna -- Add a small amount of oil to your pan or skillet for the tuna, add the tuna skewers, and cook no more than one minute per side. At the restaurant, we serve all tuna medium-rare. You can cook to your desired doneness here. Make sure the tuna is caramelizing to a medium brown color. If not, you may need to turn up your heat a little.

7.        When your tuna is done -- pull it off the heat and brush with some more teriyaki sauce to coat.

8.        To plate -- mound your veggie and noodle mixture into the center of each plate or bowl. Top with the tuna and drizzle with any remaining sauce or pan drippings. Garnish with the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!