Name: Tuna Tostadas
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: ⅓ cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoons sriracha; 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2¼ teaspoons sugar; 1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger; ½ head napa cabbage, shredded (about 5½ cups); ¾ cup sesame seeds; 4 (6-ounce) skinless tuna steaks, 1-inch thick; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; ½ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 12 (6-ounce) tostada shells; 2 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Why This Recipe Works

To give tuna the tortilla treatment, we turned to the taco's open-faced cousin, the tostada; we love the contrast of this fish's buttery texture with the crispy shell, and its pretty pink color provided visual appeal on top. A sesame crust added extra crunch and served as a jumping off point for a tostada with Asian-inspired ingredients. Slices of the seared tuna rest on a bed of delicate napa cabbage shreds, tossed in a soy sauce, fresh ginger, and sesame oil vinaigrette. For side slaw, we often salt our cabbage in advance but since tostadas are eaten right away, we tossed the cabbage with the dressing just before assembling the tostadas to easily avoid water-logged slaw. A spicy, creamy, tangy component comes in the form of a sriracha mayo. A sprinkling of thinly sliced scallions finishes with bright green color.

Before You Begin

We found that 1½ pounds of tuna was ideal for 12 tostadas.

Instructions

for the sauce

Whisk mayonnaise and sriracha together in small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

for the slaw

Whisk sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, sugar, and ginger together in large bowl. Set dressing aside until ready to serve.

for the tuna

Spread sesame seeds in shallow dish. Pat tuna dry with paper towels then rub steaks all over with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Press both sides of each steak in sesame seeds to coat.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steaks in skillet, and cook, flipping every 1 to 2 minutes, until center is translucent red when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 110 degrees (for rare), 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer steaks to cutting board and slice ¼ inch thick.

Add cabbage to dressing in large bowl and toss to coat. Divide slaw, tuna, and sriracha sauce evenly among tostada shells. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.