Recipe #49 - Spicy Seattle Tuna Rolls

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Puree chiles, ginger, sesame seeds, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mini-processor until paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in both oils and vinegar. Season dressing with salt.

If you couldn't find tuna sashimi, you can just buy the yellowfin tuna. Add a little sesame oil in a skillet and sear all edges, about 20-30 seconds per side.

Gently add tuna to the first mixture, toss to coat.

Place nori sheets on a work surface with short side facing you. Spread about 2 rounded tablespoons rice evenly on bottom third of each sheet.

Divide tuna among rolls, spooning over rice. Top with fillings. Roll into cones or log shape, using a few grains of cooked rice to "glue" to seal.

Now my mother didn't like the nori sheets very much at all. She dosen't like the texture. So I put together a little tuna salad over rice. She loved it. And I did too. It made me want to rewrite this whole recipe around this tuna salad. A-mazing.

Rating: 7
Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
4 green Thai chiles (or serrano peppers if you can't find the latter), stemmed, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated, peeled, fresh ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1/4 cup sunflower or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 pound sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna fillets, cut into 1/8" cubes
4 toasted dried nori sheets, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 cups (about) cooked short-grain rice, cooled
Assorted fillings, such as sliced scallions, English hothouse or Persian cucumber, avocado, cilantro leaves, and/or chive blossoms.