Cold Soba Noodle Salad
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (I like Red Boat)
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon honey
- 5 ounces soba noodles, prepared per package directions
- 5 ounces frozen spinach, prepared per package directions
- 5 radishes, trimmed, rinsed, and dried
- green parts of 3 scallions sliced thinly on the diagonal
- 3 tablespoons wonton strips
To make the dressing, thoroughly whisk together the first six ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Drain soba noodles through a colander or strainer. Rinse with cold water until the noodles are cold. Pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Drain spinach through a colander or strainer. Rinse with cold water until cold. Put the spinach in middle of a clean kitchen towel or a big wad of paper towels. Squeeze out as a much water as possible. Add to the mixing bowl.
Slice radishes using the 3.5 mm blade of a v-slicer. Add to mixing bowl.
Add scallions to mixing bowl.
Put bowl in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Just before service add dressing to taste. Mix. Top with wonton strips. Divide between plates.
Seared Tuna
- 2 6-ounce tuna steaks
- salt
- pepper
- Cajun seasoning
- sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon Ponzu sauce
- ½ tablespoon fish sauce
Pat tuna steaks very dry with paper towels. Spray one side of each tuna steaks with Pam. Season with salt and pepper. Liberally sprinkle with sesame seeds and press into tuna. Flip steaks over and repeat on the other side.
Spray a 12-inch non-stick skillet with Pam. Heat over medium-high heat (I use the 8 setting on the 10 point dial on my electric stove). When the pan is very hot but before Pam starts to burn, add steaks and reduce heat slightly (I use 6). For rare to medium-rare, cook 2 minutes. Flip steaks (trying to avoid knocking off seeds). Cook another 2 minutes. (If the steak is very thin, reduce cooking time by 30 seconds per side. If the steak is very thick, add 30 seconds per side.)
Slice steaks against the grain.
Mix Ponzu and fish sauce. Brush liberally onto cut sides of the steaks.
The Wine
We drank a 2019 Trimbach Gewürztraminer, which is one of my favorite wines for quasi-Asian foods. It's a delicious wine. Bright gold color. Big nose of rose petals, pineapple, nutmeg, and lychee. The palate followed through with the same associations and a medium-long finish.
