Seared Ahi Tuna & Peach Salad
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 2 10-oz. Ahi tuna loins
- (Ask fish guy to cut into rectangles)
- 4 oz. Shichimi (Japanese 7 spice seasoning)
- 4 Tbl. canola oil
Ingredients:
- 1 red onion sliced thin
- 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 3 Tbl. olive oil
- 2 white peaches sliced thin
- 2 yellow peaches sliced thin
- 1 package daikon radish sprouts
Ingredients:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Black pepper
- Heat a 14-inch skillet over high heat. Roll tuna loin in Shichimi seasoning and set aside.
- Put 4 Tbl. canola oil into hot skillet. Carefully place tuna loin in hot skillet and sear for 30 seconds.
- Turn over and sear for 30 seconds.
- Continue until all sides are cooked.
- Remove from pan and set on a paper towel-lined plate, cool and reserve for plating.
- In a stainless steel bowl mix together slice red onions and rice wine vinegar with salt and pepper and 3 tbsp. olive oil.
- Gently fold in peaches and mix with your hands until well-coated with sauce.
- Add daikon sprouts and mix just to incorporate.
- For the lemon aioli, mix together ½ cup mayonnaise, juice from 1 lemon and black pepper and reserve for plate up.
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Portola Hotel & Spa
2 Portola Plaza
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone: (866) 711-1534
Website: www.portolahotel.com
About Chef Jason Giles:
As executive chef of the 379-room Portola Hotel & Spa Jason Giles is at the helm of all culinary operations, including menu development for the hotel's two restaurants, Jack's and Peter B's BrewPub, as well as the creation of menus for in-room dining, banquets and special events.
A California native, Chef Giles credits his mother as a driving influence in his culinary upbringing. As a youngster he began serving as the official "taster" in the kitchen, and soon learned the importance of showcasing each ingredient's flavors while grilling in the backyard.
Fueled by those joyful early experiences and the creative satisfaction he derived from cooking, and further inspired by the passion of chefs such as Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, Giles enrolled in the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Upon graduating, he headed to The Grill at Sonoma Mission Inn (now the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa) in Sonoma for a two-year stint as the lead line cook.
Giles then made his way to the Monterey Peninsula, accepting the position of sous chef at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, where he played an active role in the development and opening of Stillwater Bar & Grill.
In 1999, wanting to hone his skills at a stand-alone restaurant, he joined the team at Hullaballoo Restaurant in Salinas, California as executive sous chef and pastry chef.
After three years at Hullaballo, he headed to Carmel's Porta Bella & Merlot Bistro to take on his first position as executive chef. In 2005, Giles accepted a position as executive chef at the Portola Hotel & Spa, drawn by the opportunity to develop a culinary program that allows him to practice his passion for the culinary arts at the highest level.
Chef Giles lives in Salinas with his wife and three children. When not in the kitchen, he enjoys golf and travel.
