The Spicy Paste That's Perfect For Seasoning Fresh Tuna, Raw Or Cooked

Rich in nutrients, full of flavor, and simple to prepare, fresh tuna can be the star of your next meal. There are plenty of mistakes everyone makes when cooking tuna steaks, but taking care of your choice of seasonings and cooking method will maintain the integrity of a delectable fish dish. With regard to flavor, it's vital to know when to season tuna steaks to avoid drying them out and to choose a seasoning that will complement the taste and texture of your fish however you prepare it. Taking a tip from Tasting Table's Joshua Carlucci, who has worked in multiple James Beard Award-nominated and Michelin-starred kitchens over the course of his career, there are several seasonings that will take fresh tuna to the next level, among them a North African favorite: harissa paste.

Wondering what harissa is? The seasoning originated in Tunisia and is widely used in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. Made with red chiles, garlic, oil, and spices such as coriander and caraway seeds, it makes an excellent addition to a fresh piece of tuna. Knowing you can spice up your salmon with plenty of harissa, it's easy to see how this can translate to other types of fish like fresh tuna. For example, you can use this spicy paste as a marinade for a simple seared tuna recipe or as a dipping sauce for a tuna poke dish.

While it's simple to make your own harissa paste at home, you can also grab a jar of Mina Harissa Sauce (available on Amazon) or any of your favorite brands, some of which may vary in levels of heat. Because of these variations in flavor and spiciness, when cooking with a new harissa paste, you should definitely sample some of it first to get a sense of how the flavor will mix with your fresh tuna dish. There are a few ways that you can introduce harissa paste into your cooking whether you're making a raw or cooked tuna meal. For an ahi tuna poke bowl recipe, try adding harissa paste at the end as a finishing sauce for a dash of heat.

When preparing a cooked tuna dish, you'll want to take extra care not to overcook and dry out your tuna steaks. You can actually cook tuna steaks with your oven broiler and using harissa paste as either a marinade for your fish or a finishing sauce would bring a great amount of robust flavor to the dish. This also pairs well with a side of crumbled feta cheese and a simple shirazi salad recipe. You can also lean more into the North African flavors by preparing a Moroccan-spiced carrots recipe as a warm side dish that brings the heat.