Teriyaki-seared tuna loin with grilled baby fennel salad, banana chutney and coconut sago pearls Recipe

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Teriyaki-seared tuna loin with grilled baby fennel salad, banana chutney and coconut sago pearls

This light salad, with layers of beautifully complex Asian flavours, comes courtesy of Grant Cullingworth, executive chef at The Westin Cape Town.

Serves: 4

Asian

bananas

coconut

Grant Cullingworth

Ingredients

For the grilled baby fennel salad:

20g peeled and julienne daikon

20g blanched and shelled edamame beans

30g peppers (red and yellow), julienne

20g peeled and julienne carrot

25g thinly sliced baby fennel

5g dried pomegranate seeds

10g julienne pickled ginger

3g white sesame seeds

For the Japanese vinaigrette:

5ml lemon juice

5ml sushi vinegar

1g wasabi powder

5g honey

3ml fish sauce

10ml soy sauce

50ml olive oil

For the tuna:

4 tuna steaks(loin), cleaned and portioned

3g chopped coriander leaves

3g chopped parsley

3g peeled and chopped

200 ml teriyaki sauce

25ml fresh lemon juice

For the banana chutney:

100g banana

5g mint

15g brown sugar

30ml white wine vinegar

2g grated ginger

2g chopped chilli

2g chopped stick lemongrass

5g chopped spring onion

For the coconut creamed sago:

100g sago pearls

300ml miso soup

100ml coconut milk

5g ginger

5g coriander

salt and pepper

Method

For the salad
Combine the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk well to emulsify. Chargrill the fennel on a hot griddle pan and deglaze with a little of the vinaigrette. Remove from pan and reserve. Place the ingredients in to a bowl, lightly season and dress with the vinaigrette.

For the tuna
Portion the tuna in 130g pieces and reserve. Combine the herbs, teriyaki sauce and lemon juice to form a marinade, place in a sealable bag with the portioned tuna and marinade until needed. Remove tuna from marinade and seal off on all sides in a hot pan, taking care not to overcook the fish.

For the sago
Soak sago pearls in water for approximately 20 minutes then drain off. Cook in the miso stock until translucent and tender, take off heat, drain and allow to cool. Sweat off the garlic, chilli and ginger then add the coconut cream and bring to the boil. Add the sago pearls to the pot and cook until a creamy thick consistency. Season to taste. For the banana chutney Add all the ingredients, except half of the bananas, and bring to a boil in a saucepan on high heat. Blend at a high speed, strain, and set aside. Chop the other half of the bananas and add that to the chutney mix.

To serve
Spoon the creamed sago on to the plate and drag. Slice the seared tuna and arrange on the creamed sago, then spoon a little of the banana chutney on top. Place the dressed salad alongside the tuna and garnish with the grilled fennel, crisp beetroot chips and toasted sesame.

Recipe by Grant Cullingworth, executive chef at The Westin Cape Town.