Seared Tuna With Dragon Fruit Salsa
A super simple, gorgeous, fresh salsa sits atop a perfectly seared tuna steak… Seared Tuna with Dragon Fruit Salsa requires 5-10 minutes on the outdoor grill, and a few minutes to prep the salsa. Even better, it won’t heat up your kitchen making it a perfect dish for summer!
Love makes you see a place differently, just as you hold differently an object that belongs to someone you love. If you know one landscape well, you will look at all other landscapes differently.
And if you learn to love one place, sometimes you can also learn to love another
~~ Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About South Texas
South Texas? Not this girl! “Never say never,” as the saying goes… 🙂 Summer 2015 found us packing up our belongings in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and homeless for the next 6 weeks. While visiting McAllen, Texas in July (for the very first time) to house hunt, I tasted Braised Pork Belly with a Dragon Fruit Relish and Berry Reduction at House Wine & Bistro. It was love at first bite! I might also say love at first sight… The spectacular color, taste, and texture of the dragon fruit (pitaya in Spanish) made quite an impression, and provided the inspiration for my Seared Tuna with Dragon Fruit Salsa.
McAllen, Texas is a vibrant border city in the Rio Grande Valley of deep south Texas. Agriculture thrives in this sub-tropical climate with its fertile river valley soil, and ample sun and moisture. The moisture (humidity) is a topic for another day for this desert rat from New Mexico. 😉
We have discovered the pleasure of browsing local farmers’ markets at the McAllen Library and downtown McAllen. Dragon fruit (pitaya or dragonfruit) has been available on a regular basis. I did manage to find it in Las Cruces in mid-August.
Dragon fruit is definitely a specialty food item, and it is not cheap. I have paid as little as $3.00 and as much as $8.00 per fruit. However, one dragon fruit will make a generous bowl of salsa or relish. You will find red ones with the more common white flesh, red ones with red flesh, and yellow ones with white flesh. I have yet to find a way to know – prior to cutting into one – what color fruit I have selected. That’s part of the fun of using this lovely fruit…
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- tuna – We love raw, fresh tuna, so tuna steaks are perfect with the salsa, but it would be lovely on grilled salmon, mahi mahi, or your favorite fish as well. I regularly use frozen sushi-grade ahi tuna steaks as well. Thaw them in the refrigerator for best results.
- dragonfruit – Dragon fruit reminds me a little of kiwi in taste and texture. Feel free to substitute kiwi, mango, even nectarines or peaches. You want to use barely ripe, firm fruit that will hold its shape in the salsa.
- vinegar – I have tried different acids with the dragon fruit – lime juice, sherry vinegar, and white vermouth vinegar. We liked the white vermouth vinegar best, but all worked well!
- fresh chile pepper – My favorite chile for fresh salsas is the Fresno chile. I love it’s fruity medium heat. On photo day, I chose a red Fresno chile, and a green jalapeño for contrast because my dragon fruit was white. I like serranos (thought they’re quite hot), and red jalapeños as well. I’m too much of a wimp to use habanero peppers, but if you love the heat, go for it!
- fresh herbs – I love the dragonfruit with fresh mint! Cilantro and basil are great as well.
📹 How to Prepare Dragon Fruit Video
I made this video for a dragon fruit salad recipe, and shared it on my dragon fruit salsa as well. It isn’t the best video, but it does get the point across!
❓FAQ
You may know it as “dragon fruit,” “dragonfruit, “pitaya,” or “pitahaya.” I’ve always referred to this unusual tropical fruit as “dragonfruit.” If you’ve seen this dragon fruit salad, and now this dragon fruit salsa, I’ve split the word into two. Why? After looking at many, many recipes that use this unique tropical fruit, it seems “dragon fruit” is the more typical name. Of course I want my readers to be able to find the recipe, so dragon fruit it is!
💭 Tips
This salsa recipe is simple, and can be modified based on seasonal ingredients and what you have in your well-stocked pantry. Dragon fruit reminds me a little of kiwi in taste and texture. Feel free to substitute kiwi, mango, even nectarines or peaches. You want to use barely ripe, firm fruit that will hold its shape in the salsa.
Seared Tuna With Dragon Fruit Salsa
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Ingredients
- 1 small dragonfruit - diced*
- 1 shallot - minced*
- 1 serrano - fresno, or jalapeno chile, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint - cilantro, or basil
- 1 tbsp. White Vermouth Vinegar
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
- 4 fresh ahi tuna steaks*
- a drizzle of olive or coconut oil
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- *See Notes
Instructions
- Breaking down a dragonfruit looks intimidating, but is really quite simple. Slice in half lengthwise, and use a spoon around the outer edge to scoop out the flesh. See notes for a video on this process. You will want a fairly small dice, 1/4″ or so. Add to a small prep bowl.
- Add minced chile, shallot or onion, and vinegar. Stir to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat your grill or griddle pan to very high heat.
- Rub tuna steaks with coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sear tuna on both sides. We like “rare,” which is typically 1-2 minutes per side.
- Slice tuna steaks. Serve with a generous scoop of salsa.
Notes
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
My favorite side dishes with this recipe are coconut rice and curried vegetables – especially fresh okra, eggplant, and tomatoes. The entire meal will come together in about a half hour, and its fresh, healthy, colorful ingredients are sure to please! Try this recipe with a dry, fruity white wine like sauvignon blanc or an unoaked viognier. Craft beer lovers would probably enjoy it with a saison or a hefeweizen with a slice of orange. And since I’m desperately working on my Spanish, buen provecho!
Hello! Tamara, i really liked your post. Please share some more
i totally agree with what geet says. such a wonderful post Tamara!
Dragon is a such a great fruit. It has much health benefits like healthy heart, vitamin source, rich in antioxidants and much more. Cheers to your post. Nice one.
Thank you!