Grilled Tuna With Soy-Ginger Sauce

As part of my series on quick-and-healthy family meals, I thought I’d share with you my recipe for grilled tuna with soy-ginger sauce. This is a great summer, eat-on-the-deck kind of meal. Try it out and let me know what you think.

The Sauce

I made the sauce a day before: Sautee two tablespoons minced ginger and two tablespoons minced garlic on medium heat with a little sesame oil. Just as the garlic and ginger begin to brown, add one cup low-sodium tamari/soy sauce, 1/2 cup rice-wine vinegar, three tablespoons sesame oil and a pinch of crushed red pepper and sesame seeds (either toasted or not). Bring to a boil and then let cool and rest overnight in the refrigerator. (This actually is enough sauce to last for at least two dinners; it will hold well for a week or more.)

The Accompaniments

I like basmati rice and grilled vegetables. Because Tuna only takes a few minutes, I prepare the rice and grill the vegetables ahead of time: For the rice, I combine one cup rice with 1 1/2 cups water, along with a pinch of salt and a clove. Bring to a boil, cover and let sit; fluff with a fork or chop sticks just prior to plating.

For the vegetables, slice thinly, on a bias, then grill on medium-high heat, season lightly with salt and pepper, and then set aside until ready to plate. In this instance, I grilled bok choy, eggplant and squash. If you’re grilling a green, like bok choy, it’s good to ligthly coat with oil before grilling.

The Fish

For two adults and two toddlers, one pound of fresh ahi tuna is good. Portion the fish (in our case, two six-ounce pieces and two two-ounce pieces), then marinate in a few tablespoons of sauce for an hour before grilling. Grill the fish a few minutes (about three) on each side over medium-high heat; the thickness of the tuna, the grill temperature, and your preference for doneness will determine the exact cooking time. I like tuna with nice grill marks on the outside but mostly rare throughout.

Plate

When the tuna is done to your liking, immediately remove from the grill and serve with the rice and grilled vegetables. Drizzle some sauce over the tuna and serve immediately.

Wine

Enjoy your tuna with a bottle of wine — either a full bodied white or a light red.