The Reason Gordon Ramsay's Seared Tuna Is Bursting With Flavor

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Flavor balance is key to crafting complex, expertly seasoned food. You have to be able to grasp how the five flavor elements — sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and umami — react with each other and with your ingredients. Food Network star Gordon Ramsay illustrated his grasp of the technique in a demonstration for Masterclass: The Michelin-starred chef and veteran television host seasoned seared tuna steaks with a bright burst of lime. 

Tuna and lime are a popular pairing. Ramsay's citrus-forward seafood recipe is reminiscent of ceviche, an iconic Peruvian dish involving fresh seafood marinated in citrus juice. Lime is a fantastic addition to tuna tacos, and it's also a good way to switch up your tuna salad. Ramsay isn't the only star who endorses the combo: Ina Garten makes tuna salad with a touch of lime, and Martha Stewart includes citrus in her tuna salad, too. Her recipe includes lemon juice. 

Ramsay added another, slightly unusual twist to his tuna: He coated the fish in sesame seeds. The layer of seeds acts like breading, protecting the meat from high heat and adding a crunchy texture. The seeds also develop a nutty taste as they toast.

To prep his tuna, Ramsay seasoned the steak with salt and pepper before coating the meat with a thin layer of egg white. Once he had a sticky surface, the chef sprinkled the meat with lime zest and rolled it in sesame seeds. Then, he used grapeseed oil to sear the steaks, adding additional splashes of oil if the pan got too hot.

Seasoning food at different parts of the cooking process can serve a number of purposes purposes and affect the final flavor in a variety ways. Ramsay layered the citrus element by incorporating lime at two separate points in the cooking process: once with a sprinkling of zest applied before the sesame seed coating, and then again with a tart, citrusy sesame dressing. He also included both yuzu and lime in his dressing for a more complex citrus flavor.

You don't have to stick to Ramsay's recipe, though. Come up with your own creative tuna and lime concoctions. Tuna isn't the only fish that pairs well with lime, either: The recipe also recommends other pairings, like swordfish and mahi mahi.