Soft-core Albacore with Bok Choy, Portabella and Red Bell Pepper

When you sear albacore or ahi tuna on the grill, it doesn't even resemble the stuff you get in the can. The fleshy, medium-rare middle is like candy with just the right touch of salt on the edge. It is the perfect execution of cooked fish, without any hint of fishiness. 

We decided to go for an asian theme so we paired our albacore with some bok choy, portabella mushroom and red pepper. After about 20 minutes in a marinade, our meal was on the grill and on our plates within 15 minutes. Not too bad for a meal with such satisfying flavors and textures.

The Marinade:

Soy Sauce 3 tbsp.

Toasted Sesame oil 2 tbsp
Olive Oil 1/4 cup
Dijon Mustard 1 tbsp
Honey 1/2 tbsp
Rice Vinegar 2 tbsp

Fresh ginger, 2 tsp. grated

Fresh garlic, 3 tsp. minced

Cayenne pepper to taste

Black Pepper to taste

When it's time for grilling, we use a simple trick to cook the bok choy. With the help of a red pepper, prop up the leaves of one half and continue stacking the bok choy in a chain. That way, the cores have a chance to cook without the leafy ends burning off.

Sear the tuna on both sides for a couple of minutes each. You want the outside crust to just caramelize without cooking the inside too much. Remove from the grill and let it rest for at least three minutes before cutting into it. 

We felt pretty good and healthy after our paleo dinner, so we had to properly offset with some fresh cupcakes from Trophy. In case you haven't discovered this shop before, their flagship location is in the Wallingford Center and the cupcakes range from the classic Red Velvet to the "Elvis," a concoction with peanut butter and banana. We sampled the Salted Caramel made with Valrhona chocolate cake and the Carrot Walnut made with a delectable cream cheese frosting.