Savory-Spicy Seared Tuna and Soba Bowl with Gochujang Dressing

Directions

1. Pickled Carrots and Radishes
2. In separate bowls, massage 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt into julienned carrots, then 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt into sliced radishes. Massage intermittently for about 5 minutes, until vegetables become pliable and start to really lose their moisture.
3. Keeping carrots and radishes separate, rinse them under running water and drain them in a colander. Shake and press out excess water and move the vegetables to jars.
4. Stir together, vinegar, warm water, remaining 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup sugar, until sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Pour into jars over vegetables so that they are well-covered, discarding any excess brine.
5. These will be ready to use in 30 minutes. Obviously you won't need ALL of these pickles for our noodle bowl, but they are AWESOME on so many things and will keep for months in your fridge!

1. Ahi and Soba Bowl
2. Fill a medium bowl with water and add hijiki. (It needs to hang out to hydrate for a bit - 20 minutes or so.)
3. Add chilled eggs to boiling water for 6.5 minutes. Cool in ice water, then transfer to the fridge for a few minutes prior to peeling.
4. Whisk together (or blend in blender or food processor) the first nine ingredients: yellow onion, ginger, gochujang, honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, black pepper. Set dressing aside.
5. Cook soba noodles according to package directions, minus one minute to ensure they stay somewhat firm. Drain, rinse under cool water, shake out as much water as possible, and combine with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil in a bowl, adding oil until noodles are coated and have a sheen, but aren't greasy (it's okay if you need a little more or a little less than 1 tsp). Cover these and pop them in the fridge to chill.
6. Heat a pan to high heat. Combine black and white sesame seeds on a plate or in a shallow, flat-bottomed bowl. Season tuna fillet with a sprinkle of salt and pepper on all sides. Then, press the tuna into the sesame seeds, turning and pressing to coat all surfaces of the tuna.
7. Add dried wakame to the bowl of hijiki and water (it only needs to hydrate for a few minutes).
8. Add 1 T neutral oil to the hot pan and lay tuna into pan. Sear, without moving for 1.5 minutes, flip and repeat, cooking for 1.5 minutes more. Move to a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing.
9. Drain seaweed in a colander, pressing out some of the extra liquid. Back in its original bowl, toss it with a bit of gochujang dressing until it's well-coated (but not swimming).
10. Remove soba from the fridge and toss with some gochujang dressing. Again, we want the noodles to be separate and well-coated, but not soupy.
11. Divide noodles between bowls for serving. Arrange seaweed, pickled carrots, and pickled radishes around the noodles.
12. Slice tuna into 1/4 inch thick slices and fan out slices, divided between the bowls.
13. Peel and slice eggs (don't let that runny goodness escape!) and arrange on the bowls. Everything should be arranged so that you can see all of the pretty colors and components: egg, tuna, carrots, radishes, seaweed.
14. Drizzle a bit more gochujang dressing over everything (about 1-2T in each bowl. You'll have about 1/4 c dressing left over, but can serve it alongside, separately). Sprinkle slices of green onion and furikake over the top. Serve and enjoy!