Ahi tuna, fruit and melon salad


Orange sections, watermelon, and cantaloupe, with thinly sliced raw ahi tuna tossed in a homemade Asian dressing.

The thing that makes this salad so amazing is the effect that the dressing has on each individual ingredient. The dressing changes the watermelon to something never tasted before. The same with all the other melon and fruit pieces. And then the ahi tuna contributes a refreshing cold protein, oddly matched with melon and fruit. Frankly, I've never had anything remotely like this. If I were ever served something similar to this in a restaurant, I would consider the chef to be a strange and adventurous culinary savant. 

The dressing is surprisingly good. I invented it a long time ago and only occasionally remember to use it. I stopped preparing it habitually because of its dark and somewhat unattractive color. The original version did not use any oil but did incorporate grated ginger and garlic. This version does use oil but omits the ginger and garlic. Nothing is measured. The amounts below are approximations to convey the idea. 

Dressing:

*  1/4 cup cold tap water
*  1 tablespoon soy sauce (this is what makes the unattractively dressing dark)
*  1 teaspoon hot Sriracha sauce
*  1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
*  1/2 teaspoon white refined sugar (anything sweet will work)
*  1 tablespoon strawberry coulis from here (only because I have it on hand presently)
*  1/2 lime (squeezed juice, otherwise 2 teaspoons rice vinegar)
*  1 tablespoon olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
*  generous grind of black pepper (but no salt, the soy sauce is salty enough)

Mix ingredients in a small covered jar and shake. The dressing is very watery. Pour over the salad and roll all the ingredients around in an oversized bowl until everything is fully coated then drain off the excess dressing, if there is any.

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