Hello my loves,

I'm not generally one to open by complaining about the weather, but godddd it's been sticky in Sydney this week. Hot and humid is just not my zone of genius, and I’ve been lumping about and moaning, beaching myself in front of fans, and generally being a grump all week.

There has however been one shining light in this steaming miasma, and that is the lovely dish of marinated fresh tuna on rice that I’m sharing with you today. Shining slices of fresh tuna are briefly marinated in a zesty, umami-packed, Japanese-inspired sauce, and laid atop some simple steamed rice. A final flourish of sesame seeds, spring onions and finely sliced sushi seaweed creates the perfect meal for this unconscionably steamy summer weather. You can use any fish you like for this recipe, it just needs to be spanking-fresh and preferably sustainably sourced. Snapper, trout, salmon, kingfish or anything else that takes your fancy would all be beautiful.

Just before we jump into the recipe, I can report that my New Year’s Eve was wonderful! Our impromptu expedition to the Sydney harbour-front was everything I hoped it would be. The perfect spot, the perfect weather, the perfect chilled-out vibe and of course those perfectly bloody spectacular fireworks. An all-round excellent alternative to my customary 9.30pm bedtime, which I can now comfortably re-engage in for the next ten years until the mood to do something exciting strikes me once more (see you in a while, 2032). I hope your entrée into 2022 is proceeding in an excellent fashion, and I’m sending you my steamy best wishes for a wonderful weekend (unfortunately in this case my use of the word steamy is indicative of my limp and sweaty state, rather than the more salacious interpretation that I have no energy to even consider at the present time). Until next week my loves 💛.

Quick marinated tuna with steamed rice

Serves 2 hungry people, or 3-4 for a lighter meal

Ingredients
350g fresh tuna fillets suitable for sashimi (or other fresh fish fillets)
4 tablespoons sake
4 tablespoons mirin
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
5g bonito flakes (see note 1)
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
1 small spring onion, finely sliced
2 sheets of sushi seaweed (nori/yakinori), thinly sliced
White sesame seeds for sprinkling
Steamed rice to serve (I suggest one cup of uncooked rice to go with this recipe)

To make the marinade, mix the sake and mirin in a small saucepan, and heat until just boiling. Turn off the heat, add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then add the soy and bonito flakes. Stand the marinade for 15 minutes, then strain it, discarding the bonito flakes. Add the lemon or lime juice and stir to combine.

Slice your tuna across the grain (see note 2) - the thickness is up to you but I usually do about 5mm slices. Place in a shallow bowl and marinate for 20-25 minutes. Place the steamed rice into serving bowls, and lay the slices of tuna over it. Pour over some of the marinade, top with the sliced seaweed, sprinkle over the spring onions and some sesame seeds, and serve.

Note 1: Bonito flakes, or katsuobushi, are a Japanese ingredient that can be found at an Asian grocer or in the international aisle of the supermarket. If you can't access them, you can still make the marinade without them, although I do think it's worth trying to find them as they add a lovely dimension to the sauce.

Note 2: See the below image to help you with slicing tuna across the grain. Further Googling should enlighten you if your fish fillet is a different shape. It's not a deal breaker but it helps with the texture of the slices. If you get into a real pickle you can just dice everything into 5mm cubes and be done with it :)