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A ratio is worth 1,000 recipes

Photo by Jaden Hair

Just a fundamental ratio and a bit of creativity make the difference with this sesame seared tuna.

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By JADEN HAIR

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 1, 2009

I promise you this: I will do my best to keep my husband from meeting Michael Ruhlman.

I know you're all coming up with scandalous stories, so let me just explain. Ruhlman is a food writer, a very well-respected one, who writes award-winning books, including "The French Laundry Cookbook" and a nonfiction narrative series that started with "The Making of the Chef." He's my kitchen hero, and his books are my bedside companions.

Ruhlman just came out with a book called "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking" that breaks down recipes to elemental forms. Pasta is three parts flour to two parts egg. Take away the egg, add two parts fat and one part water, and you've got pie dough. "Ratio" presents 33 fundamental ratios that cover biscuits, batters, sausages, soups and more. Once you know these foolproof ratios, you can be as creative as you want in the kitchen, utilizing ingredients you have on hand or satisfying a flavor craving.

The basic vinaigrette is three parts oil to one part vinegar (or acid), so to make something a little fancy for my seared tuna, I use some lime juice and grated fresh ginger. No recipe, just a fundamental ratio and a bit of creativity.

I had a chance to chat with Ruhlman a couple of weeks ago, and he explained that understanding one single ratio is like having 1,000 recipes.

I have close to 300 cookbooks tucked in shelves, littering the floor, hidden in the closet and stacked on my nightstand. They drive my husband absolutely nuts.

Those books? Ruhlman says they're not needed. Most of those recipes are just layering ingredients on top of ratios.

Which is why I won't let my husband near him.

SESAME SEARED TUNA WITH LIME GINGER VINAIGRETTE

3 tablespoons black sesame seeds

3 tablespoons white sesame seeds

2 pieces tuna fish fillet (about 1 pound)

1 teaspoon wasabi paste

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (or other vinegar)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

3 tablespoons avocado oil (or other oil)

Salt and pepper

2 large handfuls salad greens (optional)

In a shallow bowl, add the black and the white sesame seeds. Pat the tuna very dry. Smear a bit of wasabi paste on both sides of the fish. Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the cooking oil. When the oil is shimmering, carefully lay the tuna fillets in the pan, not touching. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip the tuna. Cook 2 minutes, then flip the fillets to the other side to cook 1 minute. Flip one more time and cook for 1 minute so that you have a good sear on all sides. Take care not to burn the sesame seeds. If the seeds start turning brown too quickly, lower the heat. Remove the fish to a plate.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, ginger and the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the fish thinly and arrange on a plate. Drizzle some of the lime-ginger vinaigrette over the fish. Toss the remaining lime-ginger vinaigrette with salad greens, if desired.

Serves 4 as appetizer

Note: The ratio for a vinaigrette is three parts oil to one part vinegar. For the oil, you can use olive, vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc. I used lovely, flavorful avocado oil. The vinegar can be balsamic, rice vinegar, white vinegar, lime juice or lemon juice.

For more food adventures, visit www.steamykitchen.com.

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