Tuna Spiedini Recipes

TUNA TATAKI WITH PONZU

Steps:

• White Ponzu Sauce, part 1: Into a jar, add bonito flakes and 3 orange slices. Lay kombu on a flat surface and use a damp towel to wipe off the crystallized white salt on both sides. Cut the kombu into smaller pieces, then score in a cross-hatch pattern. Set aside.
• White Ponzu Sauce, part 2: In a small saucepan, add sake and mirin; bring to a boil over high heat. Then add unseasoned ponzu, white soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Return to a simmer; add kombu pieces and turn off heat. Stir to soften kombu; then pour contents of saucepan into the jar with oranges and bonito. Stir to combine, then set aside to cool, 1 hour. Makes about 1 cup White Ponzu Sauce. (Flavor improves after 2-3 days; store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)
• Tuna Tataki, part 1: Square off the sides of the fillets for a "restaurant-quality" look. (This is optional. Save tuna scraps for another use, such as tartare or a snack over rice.) Cut each fillet in half to create four blocks of tuna. Place on a wire rack fitted into a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
• Tuna Tataki, part 2: Preheat a dry skillet over high heat. Drizzle oil over the tuna, about 1½ tablespoons per block. Season each with a pinch of salt, then rub the salt and oil into the tuna, flipping to coat evenly on all sides. Finish with a liberal sprinkling freshly ground pepper on top and bottom. When the pan is smoking hot, add 2 teaspoons of oil. Sear tuna, one piece at a time, for 3 seconds on each side. Chill seared tuna in the refrigerator. (Note: Tuna Tataki can be made a day in advance. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.)
• Fire-Roasted Peppers, part 1: Turn one or two burners on a gas stove to high heat and lay the peppers directly over the flame. (Alternatively, char peppers on a grill, under a broiler, or with a kitchen torch.) Use tongs to turn peppers until they are charred on all sides. Place peppers in a bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes. (The steam trapped in the bowl will continue cooking the peppers and loosen the skin for easy peeling.)
• Fire-Roasted Peppers, part 2: Remove plastic wrap and place peppers on a work surface. Cut off the top and bottom, then slice open vertically and remove seeds. Lightly scrape your knife across the charred skin to remove; then use a damp paper towel to wipe off any remaining char and seeds. Optional: To remove additional char, dip briefly in water, then pat dry with paper towels. (Note: Peppers can be roasted 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)
• Julienne the peppers. Remove and set aside the shallot core (discard or reserve for another use); julienne the shallot. Peel, thinly slice, and julienne the garlic. Cut away ginger peel, slice, and julienne.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, add sesame oil and spread to cover the pan. Add ginger and stir to coat, then stir in garlic. Cook ginger and garlic until lightly brown and soft, 1 minute. Add shallots, stir, and sweat, 1 minute. Add slightly less than 1 tablespoon fish sauce and stir to incorporate. Let mixture cook until lightly caramelized and sticky, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat, add peppers and stir, just to warm through and absorb the flavors. Stir in remaining fish sauce, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a plate and chill in the refrigerator, 15 minutes.
• Assembly: Strain White Ponzu Sauce into another jar, pressing down on solids to extract all of the liquid. Set aside. Thinly slice scallion on a bias, then the serrano pepper, including seeds. Set aside. In an individual serving bowl, add several tablespoons peppers. Cut 5-6 thin slices (a "nigiri slice") of tuna at an angle, against the grain. (Reserve the corner piece for the chef!) Roll tuna slices like a cigar and place over the peppers in a decorative pile. Garnish with a few scallion and serrano slices. Add 2 tablespoons White Ponzu Sauce over and around the tuna. Assemble remaining plates and serve immediately.

SWORDFISH SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Whisk the oil, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Cut the swordfish steaks into 36 (1-inch) cubes and toss in the oil mixture to coat. Thread the swordfish cubes onto wooden skewers, 3 per skewer. Wrap a slice of pancetta around and between the swordfish cubes on each skewer. Arrange the swordfish skewers on a small baking sheet and brush with the remaining oil mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day, turning occasionally in the oil mixture.
• Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the swordfish skewers until the swordfish is just opaque in the center and the pancetta is crisp, turning often, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the skewers to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

UNION SQUARE CAFE'S MARINATED FILET MIGNON OF TUNA

Steps:

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the tuna. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and refrigerate for 3 hours, turning every hour.
• Drain the tuna thirty minutes before cooking and bring to room temperature.
• Preheat a grill, grill pan or outdoor barbecue to very hot.
• Brush the tuna with olive oil. Grill the steaks for 1 to 2 minutes on each of their six sides. The outside of the tuna should be nicely charred, and the center should be barely warm and quite rare. Cooked this way, the tuna will remain moist and flavorful.
• Top each steak with pickled ginger and serve.

DUSTIN'S CHICKEN SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a baking pan lightly with cooking spray. Wrap each chicken strips around each cheese cube and secure with a toothpick. Dip chicken in olive oil and then roll in bread crumbs. Place chicken in the baking pan. Top with bay leaves and sliced onions. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked through, and cheese has melted, and bread crumbs are golden brown. Serve.

CALABRIAN SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Season the pork well with a good amount of black pepper and grey salt. Mince the garlic and then, sprinkle with salt to help the mashing process. Using the side of a knife, mash it into a paste (this process is helped along if you sprinkle the garlic with a little salt to help break it up). The mashed garlic flavor will spread throughout the sausage more easily than minced garlic. Add the garlic to the sausage, then add the California chili powder (this is a sweet chili that will give the sausage a strong red color). Add the chili flakes, beer, and fennel seeds and mix well. Cover sausage in a bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Chef's note: if you'd like to test pork sausage for seasoning, fry a little in a small pan with some olive oil before tasting. Remember, you can always add more seasoning, but you can never take it away!
• To form spiedini:
• Preheat a grill.
• Just before your cookout, soak 12-inch wooden skewers in water for 1 hour so they won't catch on fire when you place them on the grill. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Form the sausage into baseball sized meatballs and place on the cookie sheet. To form the spiedini, flatten the balls into patties, place 2 skewers in the middle of a sausage patty, then wrap the patty firmly around the skewer. Wrap the spiedini in foil that you will use to bring them to the grill.
• To Grill spiedini:
• Place spiedini on the cooler part of the coals or on a medium grill. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill for about 10 minutes on each side, until well cooked.

TUNA AND RED ONION SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk oil, lemon juice and rosemary in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Thread tuna, onion and lemon slices onto 4 metal skewers. Brush with dressing; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill tuna and onion until tuna is just opaque in center and onion is slightly charred and tender, turning and brushing often with some remaining dressing, about 8 minutes.
• Toss greens and all remaining dressing in medium bowl. Mound salad on plates; top with skewers.

BEEF SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Thinly slice steak widthwise into 5-in. strips. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Add beef; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally., Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Transfer half of the mixture to a shallow bowl; set aside. For filling, add marinara sauce to the remaining crumb mixture and mix well. Spread 1 teaspoon filling over each beef strip and roll up into pinwheels. Coat with reserved crumb mixture., Cut onion into 1-in. pieces and separate into layers. Thread a piece of onion, a sage leaf and a beef pinwheel onto a soaked wooden appetizer skewer; repeat. Drizzle lightly with oil and place on a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan., Broil 3-4 in. from heat for 5-7 minutes or until beef reaches desired doneness, turning once.

TUNA SPIEDINI

Steps:

• For marinade:.
• Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.
• For the skewers:.
• Toss the cubed tuna in the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Add the green onions and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the green onions to a medium bowl of ice water.
• When the green onions are cool, pat dry with paper towels.
• Trim the stalks and the root end off the fennel.
• Halve the fennel lengthwise, then cut each half into 3 pieces.
• Cut each lemon into 6 pieces.
• Cut the red onion in half from stem to root end.
• Cut each half in half again lengthwise and cut each quarter into thirds.
• There should be 12 pieces of each vegetable.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the tuna and toss the vegetables in the marinade.
• Thread each skewer starting with a tomato.
• Then begin to thread the green onion starting with the tip of the white end.
• Add a piece of tuna.
• Keeping the ingredients near to the top of the skewer, ribbon the green onion around a piece of tuna and back through the skewer.
• Next add the red onion, and ribbon the green onion around the red onion and the skewer again.
• Next add another piece of tuna, and ribbon the green onion around again.
• Next add a piece of fennel, and ribbon the green onion around for the final time.
• Top with a piece of lemon.
• Center the ingredients on the skewer.
• Place on a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Serve warm on a bed of rice.