Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Asian Tuna Sliders -- 02/22/08

Asian Tuna Sliders

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh tuna steaks, cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (eyeball it)
  • 1 tablespoon (a small palmful) chives, chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 16 miniature buns, whatever type of bread you like
  • 1/2 cup pickled ginger (eyeball it), found on the international food aisle
  • 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup store-bought duck sauce (eyeball it) -- buy a jar or use up those packets you get from Chinese take-out!

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat broiler or oven to 400ºF.

Place cubed tuna into a food processor and pulse it to coarsely grind the fish (it should start to look like ground beef or turkey).

Step

Transfer tuna to a medium-size mixing bowl and add in the garlic, soy sauce, chives, some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pat the meat down in the bowl and use the side of your hand to roughly score the mixture into four equal portions. Scoop one portion out of the bowl and divide that into four equal parts. Shape each part into a small patty and reserve on a plate. Continue dividing and shaping the remaining tuna until you have 16 patties.

Step

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. When the oil is hot, place the sliders into the pan (as many as will fit comfortably, don’t crowd the party!). Cook until golden brown on the outside and cooked through inside, 3-4 minutes per side. Removed the cooked sliders from the pan to a dinner plate and cover them with foil to keep warm while the others cook.

While the burgers are cooking, split the buns in half and place them onto a baking sheet. Toss them into the oven or under the broiler for a few minutes to toast them up.

Once the buns are toasted and patties cooked, assemble the sliders by placing a patty down on each bun, then top them off with a couple slices of pickled ginger, a couple slices of cucumber and a dollop of duck sauce. Serve each person four sliders each and enjoy the show!