Ahi Recipes from Hawaiian Airlines In Flight Video

Aloha!

If you have flown with Hawaiian Airlines recently, you may have seen my most recent in flight video where I make a couple of delectable dishes from the fresh Ahi available to us in the islands. Here are the two recipes for the dishes that you saw me make!

With warmest aloha,

Bev

Blackened Ahi with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Wasabi Greens, Tobiko & Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
4 cups rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
½ cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or mint
1 teaspoon Sriracha (Thai garlic-chile paste)

Mashed Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cubed
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt
White pepper

Blackening Seasoning
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon salt

6 (6-ounce) Ahi (yellowfin tuna) fillets, well chilled
4 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter, melted
4 cups mesclun
¼ cup wasabi vinaigrette
2 tablespoons tobiko (flying fish roe)
Fresh whole chives, for garnish

Wasabi Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon ground toasted sesame seeds
To prepare the sauce, in a saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until reduced and syrupy. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the reduced liquid, stirring well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Set aside ¾ cup to use for this recipe. Store the remainder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To prepare the mashed potatoes, in a large pot, combine the potatoes and water to cover over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Mash with a potato masher, then add the milk and butter and continue mashing until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until the pan stops smoking and ash collects on the pan bottom. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the seasoning, in a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Spread on a plate.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Dip a chilled Ahi fillet into canola oil and roll in the seasoning. Place in the skillet. Sear all sides for 20 to 30 seconds on all sides, until the seasoning blackens. The fish should still be very rare. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining fillets.

To assemble the dish, in a bowl, toss the greens with wasabi vinaigrette, then add the wasabi vinaigrette, then add the tobiko and toss again. Place ½ cup of mashed potatoes on each plate. Top the potatoes with the salad greens, dividing evenly. Top the greens with the Ahi. Drizzle a little sweet chile sauce over the fish and around the plate. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Serves six.

Blackened Ahi Burrito

Ahi Burrito
6 - 12 inch spinach flour tortilla
3 cups mashed potatoes
3 cups mesclun greens
3 tablespoons wasabi vinaigrette
1 tablespoon tabiko caviar

2 pounds sashimi grade Ahi cut into 12 - 1.5 inch x 2.5 inch logs
½ cup blackening spices (any name brand is good...Paul Prudomme for example…or my recipe)
4 tablespoons canola oil

Wasabi Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon ground toasted sesame seeds

Mashed Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cubed
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt
White pepper

Blackening Seasoning
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons salt

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
4 cups rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
½ cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or mint
1 teaspoon Sriracha (Thai garlic-chile paste)

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

To prepare the mashed potatoes, in a large pot, combine the potatoes and water to cover over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Mash with a potato masher, then add the milk and butter and continue mashing until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the seasoning, in a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Spread on a plate.

To prepare the sauce, in a saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until reduced and syrupy. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the reduced liquid, stirring well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Set aside ¾ cup to use for this recipe. Store the remainder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until the pan stops smoking and ash collects on the pan bottom. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.

Dip a chilled Ahi fillet into canola oil and roll in the seasoning. Place in the skillet. Sear all sides for 20 to 30 seconds on all sides, until the seasoning blackens. The fish should still be very rare. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining fillets.

To assemble the dish, in a bowl, toss the greens with wasabi vinaigrette, then add the tabiko and toss again. Heat a 12-inch skillet or flat top griddle over high heat until very hot. Place tortilla on hot surface for 30 seconds and then flip over and heat another 30 seconds. This method will soften the tortilla. Place tortillas on flat surface. Place ½ cup of mashed potatoes on bottom third of tortilla about two inches from the bottom. Place two Ahi logs across the potatoes. Place 1/6th of dressed lettuce over Ahi. Fold the bottom up over the filling and fold the sides in towards the middle and roll all the way up. Make sure filling is tightly enclosed by the tortilla! Cut burrito in half on an angle and serve with sweet chili sauce.

Serves six.