Flash Tataki Recipe

Prepare fish

Pat the tuna or salmon dry with paper towels. Trim away any skin, silver skin or bloodline and shape into a compact rectangular or oval block about 1.5–2 inches thick for even searing.

Make marinade

In a shallow dish or bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, sugar, kosher salt and black pepper until sugar dissolves.

Marinate briefly

Place the fish in the shallow dish and spoon the marinade over it. Let it sit at room temperature for 8–10 minutes (do not exceed 15 minutes for raw fish safety). Reserve the marinade for finishing sauce if desired.

Toast sesame seeds

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast white and black sesame seeds for 1–2 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Coat fish

Pour the toasted sesame seeds onto a plate and press the long sides of the marinated fish into the seeds to create an even crust on the outer edges and top. The interior should remain mostly unmarinated and raw.

Heat pan

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast-iron pan over high heat until very hot (about 2–3 minutes). Add the neutral oil and swirl to coat. The oil should shimmer but not smoke heavily.

Flash-sear the fish

Carefully place the fish in the pan and sear for 20–30 seconds per side, rotating to sear all exterior faces quickly. Aim for a deeply browned, crisp sesame crust while keeping the center rare. For very thin pieces, 10–20 seconds per side may suffice.

Rest and slice

Transfer fish to a clean cutting board and rest for 1–2 minutes. Using a very sharp knife, slice into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick slices on a slight bias. Wipe the knife between cuts for clean slices.

Finish sauce

If you reserved the marinade, bring it briefly to a simmer in a small saucepan for 1–2 minutes to kill any surface bacteria, then cool slightly. Alternatively, use ponzu or additional soy as an uncooked dipping sauce. Adjust with a squeeze of lime if desired.

Plate

Arrange slices on a platter or individual plates. Spoon a little sauce over the fish or serve on the side. Garnish with sliced scallions, microgreens or cilantro, pickled ginger, and a small dollop of wasabi or wasabi mayo. Serve with lime wedges.

Serve

Serve immediately while exterior is warm and crusted and center remains cool and rare. Provide chopsticks or small forks for guests to pick up slices.