Chefs Delight Sesame Crusted Tuna Tataki, Ponzu Sauce & Seikatsu Mayo Recipe with Chef Mesha Tarun
INGREDIENTS
250g Sushi Grade Yellow Fin Tuna Filet
50g Black and White Sesame seed mix
10g Dijon Mustard
10ml Sesame Oil
For the Ponzu Sauce:
50ml Light Soy Sauce
25ml Orange Juice
25ml Lemon Juice
For the Seikatsu Mayo:
50ml Mayonnaise
10ml Soy Sauce
2ml Sesame Oil
METHOD:
STEP 1: First, lightly brush your Tuna with Dijon mustard. Dip it in your sesame seed mix such as to cover the whole tuna in sesame seeds. The Dijon helps the sesame seeds to stick.
STEP 2: Next, get a non-stick pan on the heat. Drizzle in your sesame oil and let the pan get to smoking point. Once smoking, gently place your tuna in the pan.
STEP 3: Sear the tuna on all sides allowing a MAXIMUM of 30 seconds per side. DO NOT overcook the tuna.
STEP 4: Once you have seared the tuna on all sides, set it aside to rest.
STEP 5: While the tuna is resting, mix your ingredients for the ponzu sauce and seikatsu mayo.
STEP 6: Thinly slice your tuna, place it on a plate and drizzle some ponzu sauce over it. Serve with Japanese Mayo as a dip and a salad of your choice.
Mesha Tarun Bio
My name is Mesha Tarun. I’m a young, passionate upcoming chef based here in Nairobi. After I finished high school, I wanted to study Petroleum Engineering. The course started in September so I had nothing to do till then (It was January at the time). So, my mother knew someone who worked at Tribe Hotel and Trademark Hotel here in Nairobi. Me being me, I can’t sit in one place and do nothing for 8 months,. I went there and started working in different departments but it didn’t really interest me. A week later into my attachment, I hopped into the kitchen after seeing the interesting and colorful plates being sent out to the guests. I had no prior interest or training in cooking so I started at a fine dining level not even knowing how to hold a knife properly. As time passed I learnt new skills, met new people and formed special bonds with them. They practically became family because of the long hours I spent with them. Most of all I discovered I had a passion for food and what you can do with it. I loved every aspect in the kitchen. The pressure, the adrenaline, the madness, the teamwork. It was like my calling. Trust me it’s crazy. I worked there for around 8 months then I realized that I needed my papers. I started looking for Hospitality Schools in Kenya and then I finally enrolled at The Boma International Hospitality College (BIHC) for a 2-year dual diploma program. I finished my studies at the college in December 2020.
In March 2020, the pandemic hit and all schools were ordered to close. A few days after the closure, I started talking to a good friend of mine who works in the Management of the college and we came up with the idea of starting an online food-pictorial series which successfully concluded called “Isolation Kitchen by Mesha Tarun”. This series was created in order to create joy and spread positivity in people’s homes as they were in “Isolation”. It reached people as far as the USA and Italy. Also during that time (Between March and November 2020), I have done several private fine dining events with well-known chefs in Nairobi and globally- including Michelin Starred Chefs. I have also organized and executed my own private fine dining menus where I’ve created and prepared multi-course menus
My style of cooking is quite contemporary. I try not to “copy” others. What I do is I take different concepts from different chefs that I have learnt from in the time I’ve been in the industry and twist them to my own taste and concept. As young as I am, I believe that there is a lot someone can do with ingredients and in my opinion, Kenya has one of the most beautiful produce to work with. One of my main missions is to try and change the culinary industry in Kenya and put food it as a global food destination. I am very honored to be chosen as the youngest Chef Ambassador in Kenya for Go Places Digital and I am sure that we can help realize my dream of making Kenya a global food destination.
I never expected to ever be in the Hospitality Industry but all I can say is that life has a strange way of finding itself. I’d never give up this profession for anything.