seafood

Ingredients:

0 coarse salt, to taste

0 freshly ground black pepper, to taste

0 vegetable oil, as needed

0.75 lb excellent quality albacore tuna steak, 2-inches thick

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced lengthwise

2 T soy sauce, or to taste

2 t white truffle oil, or to taste

0 julienned basil, as garnish

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl prepare an ice water bath. Set it aside. Wash and thoroughly dry the albacore. Rub a pinch of salt and a very generous grind of black pepper on each side. Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, until very hot. Pour a small amount of oil the skillet. Sear the albacore for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove albacore and immediately submerge it in the ice bath for about one minute. Remove the fish and thoroughly dry it. Using a very sharp knife cut the fish diagonally across the grain in slices about 1/3-inch thick. Arrange the fish and avocado slices alternating on a serving plate. Drizzle with the soy and truffle oil and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

Notes:

You know I don't do this very much, but it's time I got back on my high seahorse and spread some vital information regarding the state of the world's oceans.

Do you love seafood as much as I do? I hope you do. I actually hope you love it enough to stop and think about the consequences of that love.

Love, indeed, has consequences and condoms are not always the answer!

Fishing is an ancient practice. Fishing has helped sustain the human race and was one of the first important steps human societies took towards developing a market based food supply chain. There are deeply important cultural associations attached as well.

But in the last few decades, the way we get fish to market has begun to radically alter our marine ecosystems. Over fishing, environmental degradation and destructive harvest practices are becoming cataclysmic.

I bring all this up (again!) because these problems reach further than merely keeping this food obsessed yacker sourced up with tasty tid-bits from the sea. Because these fishing practices, you see, not only damage marine eco-systems and send species into extinction. They actually threaten the economic stability of tens of millions of people in the developing world and exacerbate the ongoing crisis of world hunger, now and into the future.