…not your everyday tuna fish sandwich

I went to Costco yesterday with the sole purpose of buying a package of their fantastic ahi tuna. If they didn’t have any, I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner… I was craving ahi and ahi it was going to be… hopefully.

Connor came along with me and as we walked toward the back of the store, we passed a very tall older gentleman wearing a blue pinstripe seersucker suit. He was holding an extra-large reusable “cold” bag. You know, the insulated kind you take shopping to help keep your groceries cold on the way home. He was talking rather loudly and animated toward the guy selling the cell phones. Not in a mean tone, just really loud and attention-drawing.

On our way to the seafood, we got distracted by some cool maps we saw, and in the process, Mr. Seersucker passed us by.  When we arrived at the seafood area, he was already there, filling his bag with salmon, crab legs, lobster tails, and more. Basically, he was just going down the aisle, putting one or two of every sort of seafood in his bag. As I scanned down the open refrigerator for the ahi, I walked past him. There it was, at the far end of the refrigerator, the ONE and ONLY package of ahi left. I snapped it up and put it in our cart. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mr. Seersucker, near the center of the long refrigerator, looking in my direction, he did not look pleased.

Connor and I headed to the bakery to get the rolls for our ahi sandwiches and I watched as Mr. Seersucker called over an employee and proceeded to ask him about finding some more ahi tuna for him. The employee shook his head and told Mr. S. that no, there was no more ahi today.

Linda scores with a mere second or two to spare! Sorry, Mr. Seersucker, the crab legs, lobster, and salmon will have to do for you today.

The other thing from Costco that I used was this tasty Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Sauce as my marinade. But use whatever sort of marinade you like, such as teriyaki sauce.

The ever-popular roasted raspberry-chipotle sauce would be a great choice too.

Seared Ahi Tuna Sandwiches

Marinade of your choice
Ahi tuna steaks
2 – 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
Chipotle mayonnaise
Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
1 large Bosc pear, thinly sliced around the core
Flesh of 1 mango, cubed or sliced
1 large avocado, peeled and sliced
Pickled red onion
Rolls or buns of your choice, cut in half and warmed slightly in a low oven

Place the marinade in a shallow bowl or dish and add the tuna steaks.  Let sit for about 10 minutes and then turn over and marinate for another 10 minutes.

Remove tuna from marinade, wipe off excess, and place on paper towels. Sprinkle one side of the tuna steaks with half of the sesame seeds.

Place a large skillet over high heat.  When hot add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add the tuna steaks, sesame seed side down, and sear for about 45 to 60 seconds. While they are cooking, sprinkle the topside with the remaining sesame seeds.

Turn over and sear the other side for another 45 to 60 seconds.  Remove to a plate and let sit for a minute or two, then slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. The inside of the tuna should be quite pink.

Assemble the sandwiches; spread each side of the rolls with the chipotle mayo.  Then layer the lettuce, pears, mango, avocado, and pickled onions on one side of the roll.

Place slices of the seared ahi tuna on the other side of the roll.

Close sandwich and enjoy.