Seared Tuna (Tataki) with Citrus Dressing

Method

1. Pare one strip of zest from the lemon and one from the orange with a vegetable peeler.
2. Squeeze the juice from the half lemon.
3. Put the mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice and both zest strips in the small saucepan.
4. Bring the ponzu just to a boil, then take it off the heat.
5. Let the ponzu cool for 10 minutes, then remove the zest strips.
6. Cut 6 segments from the orange with a sharp knife, leaving the membranes behind.
7. In a small bowl, mix the orange segments, pickled ginger, bell pepper, garlic, the 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the ponzu.
8. Heat the oven grill (broiler) to high.
9. Cut the leek piece in half lengthways and hold each half together with 2 toothpicks.
10. Simmer the leek halves in salted boiling water for 5 minutes, until just tender, then drain them.
11. Cut each leek half across into two pieces, keeping the toothpicks in place.
12. Lay the leek pieces cut-side up on the baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.
13. Grill the leek for 4–5 minutes, until browned at the edges, then remove the toothpicks.
14. Rub the tuna with the remaining olive oil and season it all over with sea salt and white pepper.
15. Heat the heavy skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke.
16. Sear the tuna for 25 seconds on each side, until a thin grey band forms and the centre stays deep red.
17. Trim the ends of the tuna and cut it at an angle into 8–10 slices.
18. Arrange the leek on two plates and lay the tuna slices on top.
19. Spoon the orange dressing over the tuna, add a little more ponzu to taste and finish with the chives.

1. Preparation of ponzu sauce:
2. Mix mirin, mitsukan and soy-bean sauce in a stew pan.
3. Add lemon citron, squeezed juice and orange citron to the stew pan.
4. Wipe kombu with wet wipe and also add to the ingredients.
5. Put the stew pan on a medium-high heat until the sauce boils.
6. Then remove heat and set it aside until it cools down.
7. Remove kombu and put sauce in fridge for 2-4 days.
8. If you wish, you can thicken sauce with xanthan for proper consistency.
9. Citrus dressing:
10. Put orange segments into pannikin, slice pickled ginger in thin straws, chop bell pepper concasse, slice garlic in short cuts.
11. Mix all ingredients, add olive oil, ponzu sauce and stir. Dressing is ready.
12. Preparation of tuna:
13. Cut leek in two halves, fix them with toothpicks and boil for 5 minutes.
14. After boiled, cut each half in two more halves and put them out on a small sheet pan.
15. Pour olive oil and put freshly ground black pepper, and then put to gratinate.
16. Pickle tuna in sea salt, white pepper and olive oil.
17. Heat frying pan well and fry tuna for 25 seconds for each side.
18. Assembly:
19. Put leek on the bottom of a plate.
20. Cut edges of tuna and slice it at an angle in 4-5 pieces.
21. Put the pieces on leek.
22. Put orange segments, vegetable, previously sliced in small pieces, atop and pour dressing. Decorate with sliced chives scapes

The dish in the photograph was cooked by the restaurant for this story. Photo: Oleksandr Slyadnyev.