Ahi Tuna Tacos* Recipe

Prepare and marinate tuna

Trim any sinew from the ahi tuna and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/2-inch dice or thin 1/4-inch strips depending on preferred taco texture. In a nonreactive bowl combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, honey, lime juice, sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds and black pepper. Add the diced tuna and gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes (do not marinate longer than 20 minutes to preserve texture).

After marinating, drain off excess marinade if present. Reserve a tablespoon of the marinade to lightly drizzle over assembled tacos if desired.

In a large bowl combine red cabbage, green cabbage, shredded carrot, diced pineapple, red bell pepper and chopped cilantro.

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, salt and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust salt or honey if needed.

Pour dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss until evenly coated. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to meld flavors (can be made up to 2 hours ahead).

Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash lightly with a fork until mostly smooth with a little texture.

Add Greek yogurt, wasabi paste, lime juice and salt. Mix until combined. If the mixture is too thick for drizzling or piping, add up to 1 teaspoon water to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust wasabi for heat and salt as needed.

Transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag for easy assembly, or keep in a bowl covered until ready to use.

Make crispy wonton taco shells: pour neutral oil into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep skillet to a depth of about 1 inch and heat over medium-high until it reaches 350°F (177°C) or a small piece of wonton sizzles immediately and browns in about 15–20 seconds. If you prefer to bake, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly spray wontons and form over inverted muffin tins; bake 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp.

Fry method — gently fold each wonton wrapper into a taco shape by draping it over the handle of wooden spoon or by using tongs to hold an inverted metal taco rack; carefully lower into hot oil. Fry 20–30 seconds per side until golden and crisp. Remove to paper towels and immediately sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

If using baked method — bake until crisp and golden, then sprinkle with sea salt.

Assemble tacos: place 12 crispy wonton shells on a serving platter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of wasabi-avocado crème into the bottom of each shell (or pipe a small swirl). Divide the island slaw evenly among the 12 shells (about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons per shell). Top each with approximately 1 ounce (by weight) of marinated ahi tuna (adjust to preference). If you sliced the tuna into strips instead of dicing, place 1–2 strips per shell.

Garnish each taco with additional green onion, microgreens or cilantro and a light drizzle of the reserved marinade if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges alongside.