Fennel Crusted Ahi Tuna with Dill Sauce

A spring-inspired dinner for two, featuring fennel-crusted ahi tuna with a fresh dill sauce, yogurt, and chive blossoms. A Scandinavian-style main dish featuring new potatoes and fresh dill.

Have I ever mentioned that I am half-Finnish?  My parents moved from Finland to California while she was pregnant with me, so technically, I suppose, I was made in Finland. 🙂

Over the years, I have traveled back to Finland to visit my family, and one thing I have really enjoyed is Finnish cuisine. This recipe is inspired by a meal I had there recently, although it was paired with salmon, which would also work well here! It feels a bit fancy, but it is easy and quite doable. If you love dill, you will love this dish.

Ingredient Notes

• Ahi Tuna Steaks – Use sushi-grade ahi tuna or saku blocks. Feel free to substitute with Salmon.
• Potatoes – use small, thin-skinned potatoes, red or yellow
• Fresh Dill – You’ll need a half a cup!
• Spinach – we add baby spinach to the sauce to make it a more vibrant green.
• Fennel and Coriander seeds– for crusting the ahi.

How to make Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks

Ahi tuna steaks are coated in a mixture of fennel seeds and coriander seeds, then quickly pan-seared and served over steamed potatoes with a delicious dill sauce. Dill is so very Finnish. 🙂 A tasty and beautiful spring-inspired meal!

The dill sauce is like a spring garden. Fresh Dill, scallions, and spinach are blended up with water and a little olive oil,  seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s gently warmed.

The ahi tuna is crusted with a mixture of Coriander and Fennel seeds. If you’ve been here a while, you will recognize my love of coriander paired with dill. Such an interesting combination. Earthy, yet fresh and grassy.

If rare ahi tuna makes you squeamish, feel free to substitute it with salmon, cooked all the way through – also very delicious!

New potatoes are simply boiled or steamed whole until fork-tender, then sliced. If they are very small, leave them whole or halved. Place them atop the dreamy dill sauce, then drizzle the plate with diluted plain yogurt or sour cream. Top with the seared ahi and scatter the plate with fresh dill and chive blossoms.       

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a leafy green salad like our Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch Dressing or Strawberry and Spinach Salad.

Storage

Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Such a lovely spring-forward plate – perfect for entertaining! The dill sauce can be made a few hours ahead and reheated. And there you have it —a cheerful spring dish that highlights fresh dill and new potatoes! I hope you enjoy it!

More recipes you may like:

• 30 Vibrant Healthy Spring Recipes!
• Roasted Asparagus
• Fennel Asparagus Salad
• Fennel Crusted Halibut with Asparagus Sauce
• Creamy Asparagus Soup
• Quinoa Asparagus Salad (aka Spring Tabouli)
• French Potato Salad

Enjoy friends!

xoxo

Ahi Tuna with Dill Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2
• Category: Main, fish,
• Method: seared
• Cuisine: Nordic
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

A spring-inspired recipe for Seared Ahi with dill sauce, yogurt and chive blossoms, a Nordic-style dish highlighting spring potatoes. Feel free to sub-halibut or salmon!

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 8 ounces baby potatoes (red, white, purple, yellow or a mix)

Dill Sauce

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup light olive oil
• 2 ounces baby spinach (two big handfuls)
• 1 ounce dill (tender stems ok)
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

AHI

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds- lightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds- whole
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
• 8–10 ounces ahi tuna steaks
• 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil

Garnish with diluted plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) – see notes, fresh dill and chive blossoms

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Instructions

1. Cook the potatoes. Place potatoes in a small pot, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, turn heat down and simmer until fork tender, about 15-25 minutes depending on size.
2. Make the Dill Sauce. Place the water, olive oil, and spinach in a blender and blend until smooth. You’ll need a blender to get this to emulsify (and get creamy) . Add dill, scallions, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth. Taste, adjust salt, add more if you like and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Place in a small pot, set aside.
3. Prep the ahi. Place whole fennel and coriander seeds, salt, and pepper on a small plate and mix well. Coat all sides of the ahi with the mixture, pressing seeds in firmly.
4. Sear the Ahi. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet until hot and just smoking. Place ahi gently in the skillet and cover partially if seeds begin to spatter. Sear on very high heat for 1-2 minutes, until it develops a nice golden brown crust. Then, turn over and cook the other side for 1 minute or so. You want the inside to stay pink – rare or medium-rare. Set aside.
5. Heat the small pot of green dill sauce over low heat, gently warming, careful not to overheat, or it may lose its vibrant color.
6. Assemble the plates. Place a circle of warmed green dill sauce in the middle of the plate. Slice potatoes and place them over the green sauce. Slice the Ahi with a very sharp knife and place it atop the potato slices. Garnish the plate with the diluted yogurt (see notes)  or sour cream, sprigs of fresh dill, and chive blossoms. Serve!

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Notes

To make diluted yogurt, place equal parts plain yogurt ( or sour cream) and water in a small bowl and stir with a fork until smooth. 2-3 tablespoons of each.

The dill sauce can be blended ahead, chilled and warmed when ready to serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 444
• Sugar: 4.1 g
• Sodium: 298.4 mg
• Fat: 17 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
• Carbohydrates: 37.2 g
• Fiber: 11.6 g
• Protein: 41.2 g
• Cholesterol: 46.5 mg