Ina Garten Seared Tuna & Avocado Rolls

Ina Garten Seared Tuna & Avocado Rolls are easy, and they put sushi-grade tuna where lobster usually goes. She sears the steak one minute per side, then dices it with avocado and lime. It serves 6, so it fits a summer lunch or a small dinner party.

The sear is the whole thing: one minute per side in a dry cast-iron skillet that has preheated for 3 minutes. Go longer and the center cooks through, which turns the dice dry instead of silky.

Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)

Ina Garten Seared Tuna and Avocado Rolls

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Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

440

kcal

Quick-seared tuna and cool diced avocado get tossed in a lime and soy dressing, then spooned into buttered split-top buns and finished with chipotle mayonnaise and sharp pickled shallots.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound sushi-grade tuna steak, sliced 3/4 inch thick
  

• Good olive oil
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• Grated zest of 1 lime
  

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
  

• 6 dashes Tabasco sauce
  

• 1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
  

• 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño pepper, seeds removed
  

• 1 ripe Hass avocado
  

• 1 shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
  

• 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
  

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  

• 6 top-split hot dog buns, such as Pepperidge Farm
  

• Chipotle Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

Directions

• Sear the tuna: Heat a medium (10 to 11-inch) dry cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Brush the tuna all over with olive oil and sprinkle it generously with salt and black pepper. Sear the tuna in the skillet for exactly one minute on each side. (The inside will be raw.) Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch dice, and set aside.
• Dress the tuna and fold in the avocado: In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, Tabasco, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the tuna, scallions, and jalapeño. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, peel, and cut 1/2 to 3/4-inch dice. Carefully stir the avocado into the tuna mixture and set aside for 20 minutes.
• Pickle the shallots: Meanwhile, combine the shallot and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
• Toast the buns and build the rolls: Place the butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-high heat and heat until the butter sizzles. Without opening the buns, toast them on each side for one minute, until nicely browned. Line the buns up on a platter, cut sides up, and spoon the tuna mixture into the buns. Drizzle with the Chipotle Mayonnaise and sprinkle on the pickled shallots. Serve while the buns are warm.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Microplane zester grater, Hellmann's real mayonnaise, 30 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a different fish or cooked tuna?

Sushi-grade tuna is what makes this work, since the center stays raw after a one-minute sear. Cooked canned tuna turns it into a regular tuna salad roll, which is a different sandwich. If you cannot get sushi-grade tuna, use sushi-grade salmon the same way and keep the dice generous.

How long does the filling keep?

Not long, and that is worth knowing before you plan around it. The avocado starts browning within a few hours and the raw tuna is best eaten the day you buy it. Mix it, let it sit the 20 minutes the recipe calls for, then serve.

What can I do ahead of time?

The pickled shallots and the chipotle mayonnaise both hold in the fridge for a few days, so make those first. You can also sear and dice the tuna a couple of hours ahead and keep it cold. Add the avocado and the dressing right before serving.

Do I need a cast-iron skillet?

Cast iron holds high heat better than anything else, which is why she calls for it. A heavy stainless pan works if you preheat it dry for the full 3 minutes. Skip nonstick here, because most nonstick pans should not run that hot.

What goes wrong most often?

The mistake most people make is searing too long and cooking the tuna through. One minute a side is the whole instruction, and the pan needs to be hot before the fish touches it. The other one is stirring the avocado too hard, which mashes it into the dressing.