Test Kitchen - Edamame Crusted Ahi Tuna

The best dishes are the simplest dishes to me. When we decided to make some dry roasted edamame our Test Kitchen ingredient, I kept trying to think up obscure ways to use the snack. However, in the end, the simplest way was the route to take. I was inspired by the many pistachio-crusted items I've enjoyed in the past and decided to coat some beautiful ahi tuna steaks with edamame. It turned out to be an excellent idea and one that won't take you very long at all to do as well! The edamame gives a salty nuttiness to the ahi with the additional, occasional zing from peppercorn. It's delightful.


Step 1: Ingredients (yields 3-4 servings)

• 3 raw ahi tuna steaks, 6 ounces each
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp black peppercorns, freshly cracked
• 3 Tbsps dry roasted edamame
• salad greens of choice
• vinaigrette of choice

Step 2: Prepping ingredients
Crush the sesame seeds, peppercorns, and edamame all together using a coarse grinder or food processor. Pat tuna steaks dry before placing into mixture and coating. Bring an oil-coated skillet to high temperature and then place crusted tuna on the pan. Sear for 1-2 minutes before flipping. I was grateful for my Ergo Chef DUO tongs when doing this as the fish could get heavy!


Step 3: Finishing
I like my crusted ahi tuna over a bed of greens tossed lightly with vinaigrette. How about yourself? Depending on how rare you want your tuna, remove from the heat and let rest a few moments before slicing and serving on top of your salad. Enjoy!


Next Test Kitchen ingredient: dried hibiscus
The hibiscus flower, originally from Africa, is pleasantly edible and easily found in Mexican markets under the name "flor de jamaica." I've had them candied before and see it used more and more in dishes but now am wondering what we could do with them? Tart and raspberry-like in taste, these dried flowers could definitely stoke some creativity. What do you think we should make with them?


Photography by Duc Duong.