Tataki of tuna with carrot salad

Serves 4 as a starter

With tataki, although the tuna is barely cooked, it takes on quite a different identity to raw fish, and can be served with accompaniments you wouldn't normally have with a traditional sashimi. You see beef and tuna tataki on restaurant menus in Japanese restaurants but it's traditionally a peasant dish and generally served at home. Lucky peasants, I say.

With tataki, although the tuna is barely cooked, it takes on quite a different identity to raw fish, and can be served with accompaniments you wouldn't normally have with a traditional sashimi. You see beef and tuna tataki on restaurant menus in Japanese restaurants but it's traditionally a peasant dish and generally served at home. Lucky peasants, I say.

400g sashimi-quality middle-cut tuna, fully trimmed and skin removed
1tbsp sweet or thick soy sauce, plus some extra for serving
2tsp sesame oil
2 large carrots, peeled and finely shredded on a mandolin or by hand
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely diced
A small piece of root ginger (about 10g), scraped and finely chopped or grated
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the piece of tuna lengthways into 4, so that you end up with kind of rough cylinder shapes. Roll the pieces in the soy sauce, removing any excess. Heat the sesame oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan until almost smoking then cook the tuna for literally 10 seconds on each side and remove from the pan. Mix the carrots with the spring onion, ginger, rice vinegar and coriander and season. Arrange the carrots on serving dishes then cut each piece of tuna into 4 or 5 slices with a sharp knife. Arrange the tuna on the carrots and serve with extra soy sauce.