Tuna with Wasabi Cream Sauce

My husband got me the Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA cookbook for Christmas. It's a huge book of barbeque recipes from all across america. This recipe caught my eye because it uses one of my favorite fish, Ahi tuna. Make sure you buy Ahi from a fishmonger or wherever fresh fish is sold. It's customary to eat Ahi rare to medium-rare because this type of fish has literally not fat and overcooking it will dry it out.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons untoasted sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons wasabi powder
• 2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. Ahi tuna loin (each about 1 to 1-1/2 inches)
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
• Cooked white rice
• Wasabi Cream Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Make the rub: Place the untoasted sesame seeds, wasabi powder, peppercorns, and garlic salt in a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. I used a mortar and pestle and mine did not comeo out to a fine powder, but it still worked!
2. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Place the tuna in a baking dish. Sprinkle the rub all over the tuna on both sides, patting it onto the fish with your fingertips. Drizzle the sesame oil over the tuna and rub it on with your fingertips. Let the tuna marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat the grill on high for about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. When ready to cook, first clean the grill and oil the grill grate with a paper towel dipped in oil. Place the tuna on the hot grate and grill tuna for 2 minutes then rotate each steak a quarter turn to create nice grill marks. Grill for another two minutes. Turn steaks over and grill in the same way again. Test for doneness using the poke method: Rare tuna will be quite soft, with just a little resistance at the surface; medium-rare tuna will be gently yielding; and medium tuna will be firm. We grilled ours for 8 minutes total for medium-rare tuna.
5. Transfer the grilled tuna to a cutting board and let it rest for 2 minutes. Carve tuna steaks into broad, thin slices. Fan out the tuna slices over a bed of white rice. Squirt zigzags of Wasabi Cream Sauce over the tuna.

WASABI CREAM SAUCE

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

• 1-1/2 tablespoons wasabi powder
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Place the wasabi in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to form a thick paste. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, and soy sauce, and whisk to mix. The Wasabi Cream Sauce tastes best when it is freshly made.