Terrific! Steal this chef’s tasty tuna recipe

In this special weekly feature, “Today” food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much money you can save — and fun you can have — by cooking these dishes at home!

THIS WEEK: Grilled Ahi Tuna With Wasabi Whipped Potatoes Topped With Shiitake Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy, from Boa Steakhouse in Santa Monica, Calif.

Ahi (yellowfin) tuna is a delicious way to get those healthful Omega-3 fatty acids. And there are few better ways to have it prepared than they way they do it at Boa Steakhouse, a hip eatery that is one of Santa Monica’s hottest dining spots. Can’t travel to California? No problem! Chef Josh Thomsen is here to tell us how to make it at home.

About the chef:
Manhattan-born, New Jersey-raised Josh Thomsen inherited his love of cooking from his father, a passionate amateur chef, and set his sights on a culinary career as early as elementary school. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York, Thomsen has honed his skills with some of the most prominent chefs in America, including Thomas Keller, Joachim Splichal and Michael Mina.

Thomsen’s career has taken him to some of the best restaurants in the country. While at the CIA, he apprenticed at the Hotel Bel-Air under George Mahaffey, returning after graduation for a full-time position. His next stop was also in the Los Angeles area, working for Joachim Splichal at Pinot and Pinot Bistro, before collaborating again with Mahaffey at The Little Nell in Aspen.

During the next two years, Thomsen refined his craft as a chef de partie under Thomas Keller at the famed French Laundry in the Napa Valley.  Thomsen says Keller, whom he describes as a dedicated, unselfish mentor, has been the 34-year-old chef’s greatest single influence.

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After working at French Laundry, Thomsen relocated to Las Vegas, where he worked at The Mansion and Michael Mina’s Nob Hill, both at the MGM Grand. Thomsen also helped Kerry Simon open his Simon Kitchen & Bar at Las Vegas’s Hard Rock Hotel, before returning to California to run the kitchens of The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

In 2004, after a year at The Lodge, Thomsen was approached to sign on as the corporate executive chef for the Boa Steakhouse chain of restaurants. He has since overseen the opening of the Las Vegas venue as well as the new Santa Monica location.

(PLEASE NOTE: Ingredient prices are estimates and based on national averages. Amounts listed are for one portion. Increase proportionately according to number of portions desired.)

Grilled Ahi Tuna With Wasabi Whipped Potatoes Topped With Shiitake Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy

Josh Thomsen

INGREDIENTS

• 5 ounces sushi-grade ahi (yellowtail) tuna ($3.45)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil ($0.03)

• Salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms ($0.78)

• 1/2 cup baby bok choy ($0.45)

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce ($0.05)

• 2 teaspoons fresh-minced fresh ginger ($0.26)

• 1 tablespoon sake ($0.17)

• 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)

• 1 scallion ($0.11)

• 1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped ($0.05)

• 1/2 cup mashed white potatoes ($0.18)

• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste ($0.28)

Recipe continues below ↓

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DIRECTIONS

Coat the tuna with half of the olive oil. Next, spread with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place the fish on a hot grill to brown each side evenly. Do not cook the tuna past rare. Several seconds for each side should be sufficient.

Marinate the mushrooms in one tablespoon of the soy sauce, the ginger, sake, 1 teaspoon of the fresh minced garlic and the top part of the scallion. Grill the remaining piece of scallion and reserve for the presentation.

Heat a sauté pan with the remaining olive oil, then sauté mushrooms till they reach a golden brown color. Next add the baby bok choy (a Chinese cabbage) to the pan and heat until thoroughly cooked. Then mix in the chopped cilantro.

Use a food processor or hand mixer to mix together the potatoes and the wasabi paste.

(Sake, a Japanese beverage made from rice, can be found in many liquor stores. It can be substituted with mirin, a rice vinegar that can be found in specialty sections of many supermarkets as well as in specialty stores. Wasabe, a horseradish-like paste can also be obtained from these sources.)

Prepare the plate by placing a small pile of wasabi potatoes in the center of a large warm plate. Slice the tuna and arrange around one side of the potatoes. Place the mushroom mixture on top of the potatoes.

Next, mix together a pinch of the fresh ground ginger with the remaining soy sauce (two tablespoons). Then spoon the sauce onto the top of the tuna. Garnish with the grilled scallion.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES

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Boa
101 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, Calif., 90401
(310) 899-4466
www.boasteak.com

Want to find out how you can make your favorite restaurant dish at home? Just e-mail Phil at (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.

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