Food for friends is about celebration, love and pure pleasure – ie making things taste as good as humanly possible and blow the calories!

My husband and I are due to cook for our neighbours R&A, the parents of our eldest boy’s best friend. They are serious foodies – last time we ate at theirs we were fed scallops cooked to perfection, beautifully rare fillet steak, and a stodgy chocolate pear pudding with Amaretto ice cream – my mouth still waters just at the memory.

So the pressure is on. A is a huge fan of fish and seafood, and we all love spicy food and Asian flavours, so I’ve devised a starter that I hope will hit the spot..

It’s incredibly simple to make yet looks impressive and is full of flavour

Wasabi Spiked Tuna Tartare

250g extremely fresh tuna steak

Half a cucumber, diced

1 ripe avocado, diced

4 spring onions

Thumb sized piece of ginger, finely grated

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 small bunch coriander, finely chopped

Crushed salted and roasted peanuts

Seaweed thins (I use Itsu)

Dressing

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp wasabi powder mixed to a paste with a little warm water

 

 

First, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl or jug.

Finely chop the tuna, cucumber, avocado, spring onions, coriander and chilli, and mix together with the ginger in a large bowl.

Pour over the dressing then press into chef ring’s on individual plates.

Top with the crushed peanuts and a couple of seaweed thins and serve immediately.