Vegan Tuna Steak

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VEGAN TUNA STEAK
How can watermelon be transformed into a Vegan Tuna Steak?
Our marinade brings umami and the essence of the sea. Spending an hour in the oven draws out moisture transforming the texture of the watermelon as well as intensifying the flavors.
The surrounding flavors of the dish are building and supporting the vegan tuna as a whole with earthy fermented red miso paired with the rich garlic confit to add depth which pairs with lean vegan tuna steak perfectly.

I am looking forward to making many recipes using watermelon to create amazing dishes that replace traditional animal products. It’s fun to find a cooking technique that truly works and is so diverse.
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WHAT YOU NEED…

  • Watermelon: I like to use small watermelons because of the firm texture and the deeper color. The natural sweetness of the watermelon is the secret to this vegan tuna steak, the sugars caramelize during the cooking mimicking ahi tuna which tends to have a sweet flavor, making this the perfect substitute.
  • Red miso paste: brings complexity to this dish with the fermented flavors, salt, and umami, lifting the dish to new heights.
  • Garlic confit: is an amazing ingredient, it is something that I like to have around the house, I tend to put it on anything and everything. Its creamy richness has such complex flavors including caramel, sweetness, and earthy notes.
  • Asparagus: gently peeled to expose the tender flesh of the asparagus, as well as showing a beautiful pastel green. Asparagus brings fresh herbal notes, the asparagus is cooked quickly to reveal a slight al dente crispness.
  • Lemon Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms: are working together to give us a bite that is bright from the lemon zest, and the extra virgin olive oil yet rich and buttery from the roasted shiitake mushrooms.
  • Marmite: what a wonderful ingredient. If you taste it on its own it tends to be very strong and assertive in flavor. It’s thick and rich in color. The magic happens when mingling the marmite with other ingredients creates a marinade introduced to the watermelon altering the flavor and texture into vegan tuna steak.

How To Make Vegan Tuna Steak

CUTTING WATERMELON FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK_
Cut the watermelon
CUT WATERMELON STEAKS FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK
into steak-sized filets.
MARINADE INGREDIENTS VEGAN TUNA STEAK_
Marinade ingredients.
MARINADE WATERMELON STEAKS FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK_
Combine all of the marinade ingredients and cook to incorporate.
 
WATERMELON MARINADE VEGAN TUNA STEAK_
Marinate the watermelon for 30 minutes.
COOKING WATERMELON STEAKS FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK_
Then cook for 30 minutes on each side, basting each side.

How to Make Roasted Miso Garlic Sauce

garlic and red miso cooking for roasted garlic and miso sauce_
Combine garlic, olive oil, and red miso paste and cook for 30 minutes.
cooked garlic and red miso for roasted garlic and miso sauce_
The garlic should be tender when finished.
roasted garlic miso sauce
Blend into a thick paste, adding a bit of plant milk to adjust the consistency.

How to Make Asparagus Spears with Chives

PEELED ASPARAGUS
Peeling asparagus creates a tender luxurious bite.
COOKED PEELED ASPARAGUS
Once cooked, the asparagus takes on a beautiful pastel green color.
ASPARAGUS WITH CHIVES AND OLIVE OIL VEGAN TUNA STEAK_
Cut the asparagus on the bias and toss with olive oil & chives.

How to Make Lemon-Zested Shiitake Mushrooms

COOKING SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK
Slice and roast the shiitake mushrooms.
COOKED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK
Roast the shiitake mushrooms on both sides.
COOKED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AND LEMON ZEST FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK
Lemon zest and shiitake mushrooms.
Lemon ZEST roasted shiitake mushrooms
Add the lemon zest to the shiitake mushrooms.

Finishing the Vegan Tuna Steak

HERB CRUSTED VEGAN TUNA STEAK, WITH LEMON ROASTED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, COOKED PEELED ASPARAGUS
COOKED PAN HERB CRUSTED VEGAN TUNA STEAK
VEGAN TUNA STEAK
VEGAN TUNA STEAK_
VEGAN TUNA STEAK 8

Chefs Tips

  • This dish is grounded in classic French cuisine, the addition of miso is a great twist. You could easily send this vegan tuna steak in a total sushi direction with the addition of ginger and adding mint. A dash of soy sauce added to the chive and extra virgin olive oil makes a great vinaigrette.
  • The roasted garlic and miso sauce freezes wonderfully. When you thaw it you might have to whisk a dash of plant milk to emulsify the sauce.

Substitutions and Swaps

Marmite, with all of its benefits and favor-busting superpowers, can be replaced with molasses. Molasses might not be as bold as marmite, however, it will deliver a great deal of favor. Replace with a one-to-one ratio.
Asparagus is not for everyone, some people don’t care for the flavor. It was not until I went to culinary school that I learned to love asparagus. The perfect substitution is haricot vert green beans, they are tender and sweet with a crisp freshness. If you don’t have haricot vert beans green beans will work. Cook the beans using the same method as the asparagus.
Red Miso Paste is a powerhouse in this recipe, yellow miso works perfectly as well. I would try to use any miso paste that you can get your hands on. The depth and complexity as well as umami that the miso paste brings to the dish can be very hard to replicate.
VEGAN TUNA STEAK

Vegan Tuna Steak

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Tuna Steak, Vegan
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Marinade: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people as an appetizer
Calories: 278kcal
Author: Those Vegan Chefs
How can watermelon be transformed into a vegan tuna steak? Our marinade brings umami and the essence of the sea. Spending an hour in the oven draws out moisture transforming the texture of the watermelon as well as intensifying the flavors. 
The surrounding flavors of the dish are building and support the vegan tuna as a whole with earthy fermented red miso paired with the rich garlic confit to add depth which pairs with lean vegan tuna steak perfectly. 
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Watermelon Marinade

Herb Crust

  • ¼ cup parsley fresh chopped
  • 2 Tbsp chives chopped fresh
  • 1 Tsp dill fresh chopped

Roasted Miso Garlic Sauce

Asparagus Spears with Chives

  • 10 asparagus spears
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 Tbsp chives fresh chopped
  • Pinch salt kosher
  • 2 cups ice for a water bath

Lemon Zest Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms

Garnish

  • ¼ cup fennel fronds

Instructions

How to make the marinade for vegan tuna steak

  • Cut 2-inch thick watermelon rounds, and trim them into a large square, removing the rind. Cut a steak-shaped rectangle that is about 2 inches by 3 inches.
    CUT WATERMELON STEAKS FOR VEGAN TUNA STEAK
  • Heat the extra virgin olive oil over low heat, and add the kelp granules. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the poultry seasoning, granulated garlic, and mushroom powder. Continue to cook for another minute.
  • The lite soy sauce, black vinegar, red wine vinegar, marmite, and red miso. Cook for 4 minutes.
  • Place in a bowl, and allow the marinade to cool before adding the portioned watermelon steaks.
  • Marinade the watermelon steaks for 35 minutes.

How to cook Vegan Tuna Steaks

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, placing a cooling rack on the baking tray.
  • Place the watermelon steaks on the rack, and baste the tops of the vegan tuna steaks with the marinade.
  • Cook for 30 minutes, flip the vegan tuna steaks, basting the tops. Cook for another 30 minutes.
  • Allow the vegan tuna steaks to cool for 5 minutes.

How to make Herb Crust and finish Vegan Tuna Steak

  • Pick the parsley leaves from the stems, it’s best only to chop the leaves. Chop the parsley finely.
  • Slice the chives as finely as possible.
  • Mix the chives and dill into the parsley.
  • Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat.
  • Press the vegan tuna steaks into the chopped herbs. Cook both sides for 2 minutes.
  • The vegan tuna steak should rest for 5 minutes before you slice for platting.

How to make roasted miso garlic sauce

  • Remove the stems of the peeled garlic cloves.
  • Gently heat extra virgin olive oil over low heat, add red miso paste, and garlic cloves. Cook the garlic for 15-20 minutes.
  • Using a handheld emulsion blender or blender, puree the garlic until smooth and adjust the consistency with plant milk. You're looking for a thick smooth paste consistancy, not to thin.

How to make asparagus spears with chives

  • Trim about 2 inches off the bottom of the asparagus bottoms. Gently peel the asparagus starting about 2 inches from the tip. Try not to remove too much of the flesh of the asparagus.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add the kosher salt.
  • Cook the asparagus for about 2 minutes, the asparagus should be tender and firm at the same time, there should be a little texture when you bite into the asparagus spears. The asparagus should be bright green in color.
  • Place the asparagus in the ice bath for 3 minutes.
  • Gently dry the asparagus spears with a dry towel.
  • Cut the asparagus in half on the bias. If your aspsagus spears as very long, cut into 3 peices.
  • Combine the extra virgin olive oil and the chive then toss the asparagus to coat.

How to make lemon zested shiitake mushrooms

  • Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms.
  • Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat.
  • Place the shiitake mushrooms in the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, the mushrooms should be turning brown and a little crisp on the edges.
  • Flip the shiitake mushrooms, add the lemon zest, stir to combine and coat.

How to plate vegan tuna steak

  • Start with placing the roast garlic and miso source in the middle of the plate, in a rectangle shape. 
  • Slice the vegan tuna steak four times on the bias. Gently slide a small pastry spatula under the vegan tuna steak, or a knife will work also. Gently slide the vegan tuna steak on top of the roasted garlic miso sauce. 
  • Place the asparagus spears around the plate. Garnish the plate with dill fronds, and chive points. 
  • Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and chive liquid around the plate. 

Notes

Nutritional values are an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 801IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 3mg

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