Yellowfin tuna is a versatile fish and always a favorite at the sushi bar. This simple recipe uses several Asian flavors to bring out the ahi while incorporating crab and a nice seaweed salad.
Ahi Crab Roll & Seaweed Salad Recipe
- 9 Ounces sushi-grade ahi (yellowfin) tuna cut into pieces that are 5″ x 3″ x 1″
- 1 Pound of canned crabmeat, drain out all excess water
- 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- ½ Tbsp. Vietnamese chili paste
- 1 tsp. Chopped serrano chili
- 1 tsp. Chopped cilantro
- 2 Tbsp. Sweet soy sauce (also called eel sauce, this can be found in most Asian markets)
- 1 tsp. Prepared wasabi
DIRECTIONS
Mix the crabmeat with mayonnaise, chili paste, serrano chili, cilantro and one tablespoon of the eel sauce. Set aside the other tablespoon of sauce. Mix everything well and place it in the refrigerator. Get a half cup of seaweed salad ready. You can find quality seaweed salad in all Asian Markets as well as Pt. Loma Seafood.
Finely chop one tablespoon of pickled ginger.
It is best to work with a long, rectangular piece of tuna for this recipe, preferably 5 inches long by 3 inches wide by 1-inch thick. I prefer to use the top loin sections of tuna that we catch here in California and cut them to this size.
Cut the tuna in half lengthwise. Place one piece of the tuna loin in between a double layered section of plastic wrap. Using a flat-sided meat mallet, gently pound out the tuna to 7 inches long by 4 inches wide by a quarter-inch thick.
Take a fresh piece of plastic wrap and place the tuna on top of it. Spoon the crab meat at the bottom end of the tuna. Start rolling the tuna from the bottom using the plastic wrap to help compress the tuna around the crab. This helps you create a long roll. Remember to keep the tuna wrapped with the plastic and gently roll the plastic on the cutting board to help tighten up the entire roll.
Using your favorite sharp knife, slice off the end sections and cut the roll into eight pieces, keeping the plastic on the outside of the tuna. Find the end of the plastic and gently unwrap each piece of the roll.
Place several pieces of the roll on a cold plate, top it with the seaweed salad then place a few slivers of pickled ginger on the seaweed salad. Drizzle eel sauce over the tuna rolls and serve.
