Macademia encrusted Ahi

I normally don't love the fish selection at Whole Foods. I know that will surprise some people, but often most of what they have on display is previously frozen or just looks abused.  This ahi tuna though made me decide it was worth the gamble.

I used an 8" fry pan and our panini pan. I use this for a surprising amount of dishes, and I don't think I've used it for a panini yet. Turn the heat on under both pans so they will be ready when you begin to cook. Cut a lemon in half and set aside. Trimmed the asparagus and tossed with a light amount of sesame oil and salt then placed in the panini pan on medium high. With the asparagus cooking I threw macadamias in the food processor with a light amount of breadcrumbs, salt, cracked pepper, a sprig of fresh thyme, and a clove of garlic. Blended this to a thick paste and spread it over the both sides of the tuna. Make sure to check the asparagus regularly, you want the tips crispy but not burned but you also need to ensure the bases are thoroughly cooked and not crunchy. I placed the halved lemons in the corners of the asparagus plan.

Your 8" pan should be quite hot at this point. I put in a tablespoon of grapeseed oil and then dropped in the fish. The fish cooked for two minutes on each side.

Improvements, next time I'll sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and make a point to have the ahi cooked more evenly. The oil was probably too hot, it wasn't burned but you can see that the crust got a little darker than is appetizing. Also the thinner end got cooked a little too thoroughly for my taste.