Equipment
Ingredients
Tuna & Marinade
- 300 g yellowfin or ahi tuna steaks, sushi-grade, approx 2.5cm thick
- 1 lemongrass, finely minced
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 ml sesame oil
Glass Noodle Salad
- 100 g glass noodles
- 100 g cucumber, julienned
- 80 g carrots, peeled and julienned
- 100 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 15 g fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nuoc Cham Inspired Dressing
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 30 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 g brown sugar
- 1 bird's eye chili, finely sliced
Cooking Oil
- 15 ml vegetable oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 521 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 64 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 2113 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 59 mg
- Potassium
- 1264 mg
- Calcium
- 91 mg
- Iron
- 4.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 122 mg
- Phosphorus
- 517 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 406 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 38 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 3.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.33 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.29 mg
- Niacin
- 29.3 mg
- Folate
- 46 mcg
- Water
- 262 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a shallow dish, combine the minced lemongrass, soy sauce, 15ml of lime juice, and sesame oil to create the marinade.
Pat the tuna steaks completely dry with paper towels, then place them in the marinade. Turn to coat well and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Place the glass noodles in a heatproof bowl. Pour enough boiling water from a kettle over the noodles to fully submerge them. Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes until tender but slightly chewy.
Drain the noodles immediately and run under cold tap water to stop the cooking process and wash away excess starch. Shake off as much excess water as possible.
In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by vigorously whisking together the fish sauce, 30ml of lime juice, brown sugar, and sliced bird's eye chili until the sugar completely dissolves.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the cooked noodles, julienned cucumber, julienned carrots, halved cherry tomatoes, mint, and cilantro. Pour three-quarters of the dressing over the top and toss thoroughly to combine. Reserve the remaining dressing.
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot, approximately 230°C/450°F. Add the vegetable oil, then carefully place the tuna steaks in the pan. Sear for 60 to 90 seconds per side for a rare center.
Transfer the seared tuna to a cutting board and let rest for 1 minute. Using a very sharp chef's knife, slice the tuna against the grain into 1cm thick strips.
Divide the dressed noodle salad between two serving plates. Fan the sliced tuna out over the top of each salad, and drizzle with the remaining reserved dressing.
Chef's Notes
- When selecting tuna for a rare sear, look for the terms 'sushi-grade' or 'sashimi-grade', and ensure the flesh is vibrant and translucent, not dull or opaque.
- Lemongrass stalks are intensely fibrous. To get the best flavor without woody bits in your marinade, peel away the outer 2-3 layers until you reach the pale, softer core, then mince it as finely as humanly possible.
- For exceptionally neat slices of tuna, ensure your knife is honed right before slicing, and wipe the blade clean with a damp towel between cuts.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store components separately. Best eaten fresh, as seared tuna loses its ideal texture and glass noodles harden when refrigerated.
Troubleshooting
Tuna is cooked all the way through and dry.
Cause: The pan was not hot enough before adding the fish, or it was left in the pan too long.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the skillet is aggressively preheated and smoking before cooking. Strictly adhere to 60-90 seconds per side for steaks of standard thickness.
Glass noodles are clumped into a solid mass.
Cause: Noodles were not rinsed with cold water after cooking, allowing residual starch to bind them as they cooled.
Fix: Rinse the noodle clump under warm tap water and gently tease apart with a fork, then re-drain thoroughly.
Prevention: Rinse noodles immediately with cold water after draining, and gently separate them with your hands.
Salad tastes watery instead of punchy.
Cause: Noodles and vegetables were not drained or dried thoroughly before dressing, diluting the vinaigrette.
Fix: Drain excess liquid from the bottom of the bowl and whisk in an extra splash of fish sauce and a pinch of sugar.
Prevention: Use a salad spinner for the herbs/veg and shake the noodles vigorously in a sieve before assembling.
Cultural Context
This dish draws heavily on Vietnamese culinary principles, balancing the five foundational tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. The Nuoc Cham style dressing and the use of abundant raw, cooling herbs provide a necessary bright contrast to the rich, meaty profile of the yellowfin tuna.
