Rainer Becker’s Seared Tuna On A Bed Of Spicy Red Onions, With A Chilli Ponzu Sauce And Fried Garlic

Germany-born Rainer Becker honed his craft in Tokyo before making his name in London with the celebrated Japanese restaurant Zuma. This spicy seared tuna recipe combines many intense yet complementary flavours.

Serves 4

For the tuna

• 800g tuna loin
• 500ml ponzu sauce
• 100g chilli daikon
• 80g spring onions – thinly sliced
• 20g deep fried garlic, sliced

For the chilli braised red onions

• 5 red onions, sliced
• 100ml soy sauce
• 100ml rice vinegar
• 100ml sake
• 60g caster sugar
• 12g ginger – finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves – thinly chopped
• 1½ dried red chillies – large (seeds removed)

1   Cut the tuna into blocks, season and sear in a very hot pan with a little oil until coloured. The tuna should be raw apart from the outside 2-3mm. Place on a lined tray and refrigerate. For the onions, sweat off the finely chopped garlic, ginger and dried chillies for a few moments, then add the sliced red onions and cook till semi-transparent.

2   Add the soy, sake, rice vinegar and sugar and bring to the boil, remove from the heat and strain, then allow to cool on trays. The onions should still be al dente, spicy and a little sweet.

3   Thinly slice the spring onions. Fry off the sliced garlic till crisp and golden brown and grate the chilli daikon.

4   Place a pile of the spicy onions in the centre of a salad bowl, cut the tuna into slices and roll up, then place six rolled-up slices of tuna on the onions in a pyramid shape.

Add a little chilli daikon to some of the ponzu sauce and pour over the tuna, garnish with the fried garlic and sliced spring onions. Finally, finish with a small pile of extra chilli daikon.