Tuna salad, hold the mayo.

When I would cook at Nick's apartment in college, his roommate would come home and ask, "Are you burning things for dinner again?" I blame the anemic "exhaust" fan and fantasize about the day when my stove has a proper vent that carries smoke, steam, and smells (that otherwise end up perfuming the clothes in my closet) outside.

But some great things can't be accomplished without it looking as though you've set the kitchen on fire -- seared ahi tuna is one of them. A couple weeks ago, the Mid-Atlantic was unseasonably warm. Hoping we were out of the winter woods, I dry cleaned all my wool coats and started thinking about salads. I decided to make a dressed-up tuna salad, swapping out the canned fish for a sesame-crusted tuna steak. My invention is a cross between a Niçoise salad and an ahi tuna salad I tried at Serendipity 3 in Georgetown (which the waiter described as "so good, you'll want to slap your mom"); it borrows the boiled egg and tomatoes from the former and the soy-citrus dressing from the latter. Though I nearly smoked out my cat because of the oil in the screaming hot pan required to flash-sear the tuna, it turned out to be refreshing and delicious (and Oliver was no worse for wear).

Definitely a step up from your average tuna salad.

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Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna Salad ("Chinoise"?)

(Serves 2)

6-8 oz tuna steak -- sushi grade or at least frozen fresh

3-6 T Hiro Sone's sake marinade

2-3 T sesame seeds

canola oil (or other high smoke-point oil to reduce likelihood of firemen barging in on your dinner)

enough salad greens for two (I used some romaine and a few handfuls of arugula mix)

2 eggs

1 carrot, julienned

8 oz grape tomatoes, halved

1 T grated ginger

2 T soy sauce

2 T lemon juice

1 T sesame oil

2 T olive oil

splash of mirin

splash of rice wine vinegar

Sear the tuna: Marinate the steak for at least 2 hr. in the fridge. (If it's frozen, be sure to defrost thoroughly first by refrigerating overnight, or putting the vacuum package in a bowl of water in the fridge for an hour or two.) Drizzle marinated tuna with olive oil to help the sesame seeds stick. Coat top and bottom of steak with sesame seeds. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. When the pan is hot-hot-hot (drops of water will disappear instantly in the pan), drizzle with canola oil and immediately place tuna in the pan. You'll only need to sear each side for about 30 seconds (or less) to get a thin seared layer on the outside -- you'll see it creep up the side of the steak. When it "creeps" about 1/8" high, turn and do the other side. Let the tuna cool for a few minutes, then slice.

Boil the eggs: Place eggs in a pot large enough to cover them completely with water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat and leave the pot covered, on the stove. After exactly 11 minutes, drain eggs and fill the pot with cold water. After exactly one minute, peel and slice the eggs.

Make the dressing: If possible, "marinate" the ginger in soy, lemon, and rice wine vinegar while the fish is marinating to infuse the flavors as much as possible. Add sesame and olive oil and mirin, and shake well. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.

Assemble and serve: Toss the greens with the carrot, tomatoes, and dressing. Carefully lay the sliced tuna and egg over the dressed salad (if you toss it all together, the egg will crumble a bit and the bright red tuna will be clouded and less pretty).