Tuna Kebabs

Tuna kebabs threaded with artichoke hearts and brushed with a Shanghai-spiced peanut sauce land somewhere between Pan-Asian street food and a clean weeknight broiler dinner. The sauce does most of the lifting, garlic and fresh ginger fried in olive oil to release their aromatics, then deglazed with de-alcoholized white wine, tamari, and brown sugar before peanut butter is stirred in off the heat.

Off-heat is important here, peanut butter splits and turns oily when boiled, so add it once the pan has cooled slightly and stir until glossy.

The Shanghai Ethmix in the recipe is a homemade blend of crushed red pepper, ginger, and ground anise, all included in the directions if you cannot source it.

The broiler does the work in roughly 6 minutes total. Aim for tuna that is white through but not dry, since fresh tuna goes from tender to chalky fast.

Serve over jasmine rice or alongside a cool cucumber salad.

Chef Tips

• Soak bamboo skewers in warm water for at least 20 minutes so they do not scorch under the broiler.
• Cut tuna into uniform 1-inch cubes so every piece cooks at the same rate.
• Reserve half the sauce before brushing the raw fish, this is your safe-to-serve drizzle.
• Use sushi-grade tuna if you prefer a rare center, the broil time stays the same.

Variations

• Swap tuna for fresh swordfish or salmon for a richer, fattier kebab.
• Skip the artichokes and use red pepper and red onion chunks for a more classic kebab profile.
• Use almond butter in place of peanut butter for a milder, nuttier sauce.