Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post
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Although this is technically a tuna salad, it would be a disservice to call it that. Fresh, rosy raw tuna is briefly marinated with lime while you prep the crunchy salad ingredients and a quick coconut milk dressing. So it might be a seviche, except there's enough to make it an entree.
We bulked up the original recipe with fennel - you could use thinly sliced green cabbage instead - and added leaves from Chinese celery, which lend crunch and color. Cutting the apple in this different way - julienne, with bits of red peel on the end - makes the garnish look pretty. The fruit adds a touch of sweetness.
Serve with rye-toast crackers.
Based on a recipe from "Savour: Salads for All Seasons," by Peter Gordon.
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MARINATED TUNA WITH MANGO, APPLE AND LIME
MAKES: 4 servings
Ingredients
• One 12-ounce piece good-quality raw tuna
• 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt, plus more for garnish
• 1 lime
• 1 medium red onion
• 3/4 cup low-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon palm or raw cane sugar
• 1/2 fresh red Thai chili pepper
• 1 large fennel bulb
• 4 to 6 stems Chinese celery (see headnote)
• 2 Ataulfo (Champagne) mangoes
• 8 stems cilantro
• 1 Gala or Honeycrisp apple
• 1 scallion
Steps
Cut the tuna lengthwise into 4 equal portions; cut each portion into 1/4-inch slices. Place them in a glass or ceramic bowl. Season with the salt. Finely grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from the lime, then squeeze in 1 1/2 tablespoons of lime juice, letting them both fall into the bowl. Toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the red onion in half, then into very thin slices. Place the slices in a medium bowl and cover with water; let them sit for 5 minutes, then drain.
Pour the coconut milk into a liquid measuring cup. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of palm or raw cane sugar, then finely grate 1/2 teaspoon of lime zest into the cup. Squeeze in a tablespoon of lime juice. Seed the 1/2 red Thai pepper, then cut it into thin slices; add them to the cup, stirring to form a dressing.
Discard the fennel bulb's core, then cut the bulb into very thin slices, breaking them up as you distribute them in a mixing bowl. Tear leaves from the Chinese celery (to taste) and add them to the bowl.
Peel the mangoes. Cut or shave the flesh into thin slices, adding them to the bowl of fennel. Add the drained red onion.
Drain the tuna, discarding the marinade. Add the fish to the mango mixture. Pour in three-quarters of the coconut dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad mix among individual plates. Tear the cilantro leaves and tender stems, letting them fall over each portion.
Cut out and discard the core of the apple. Cut the apple in half, then into thin slices. Cut the slices into matchsticks, catching a bit of the peel on the ends if you can. Trim the scallion, then cut the white and light-green parts on the diagonal into thin slices, scattering them over each portion.
Pour some of the remaining dressing over each portion. Garnish with the apple. Season with a sprinkle of the flaked sea salt. Serve right away.
Nutrition | Per serving: 260 calories, 22 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 19 g sugar