Tuna Steaks with Ginger-Chili Glaze

This easy tuna recipe, which has a faintly sweet and heartily spicy glaze, keeps the tuna moist and infuses it with some of the sauce flavors. If you don’t have a pan big enough to cook all the tuna steaks at the same time, use a smaller skillet, and cook the tuna in batches.

Preparation time: About 15 minutes

Cooking time: About 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

4 tuna steaks, each about 6 to 7 ounces and 3/4-inch thick

Few dashes of salt and pepper for each steak

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup white wine or white grape juice

1 tablespoon red chili paste

1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1. Season both sides of the tuna steaks with salt and pepper.

2. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or sauté pan large enough to hold the steaks in one layer.

3. Add the tuna to the pan and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

4. Transfer the steaks to a warm platter and cover with foil.

5. Leave the cooking butter in the skillet and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits clinging to the pan.

6. Add the wine, turn up the heat to high, and cook until about half the liquid in the pan evaporates

   It should evaporate by half in less than a minute, so be ready! This step intensifies the flavor of the sauce.

7. Lower the heat to medium.

8. Add the chili paste, ginger, brown sugar, and sesame oil.

9. Stir continuously until the ingredients are well combined.

10. Add the tuna steaks back into the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated around the steaks, and bring to a simmer.

11. Cook for about 1 minute or until warmed through, turning once to coat the steaks in the glaze.

    Don’t overcook! Overcooked tuna turns dry and tough. The center should be moist with just a hint of pink.

12. Using a flat metal spatula, remove each tuna steak to an individual plate.

13. Spoon a little of the sauce over each serving and serve immediately.

Per serving: Calories 274 (From Fat 96); Fat 11g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 89mg; Sodium 305mg; Carbohydrate 4g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 38g.