Green Papaya and Scorched Tuna Salad

My boyfriend's beautiful daughter recommended a book to me the other day, she said it was all about food and cooking, the book was called "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister It was one of those reading experiences for me that stir everything up in you, it reminded me of all the reasons I love food and cooking and filled me with a renewed energy and passion for cuisine.

This salad is the first meal I cooked after reading the book, I felt it was a wonderful way to farewell winter and welcome spring by way of combining the last of the winter greens from my garden with  beautiful spring papaya and mango.

Ingredients:

½ green papaya

1 carrot

1 firm mango
1 bunch of baby bok choy or similar Asian Green

1 bunch of coriander

½  bunch of mint

2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
1 banana chilli

Chilli flakes (to taste)

1 large lemon

¼ cup white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons of caster sugar

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

400g of sushi grade tuna

Method:

I used a julienne tool that looks like vegetable peeler to attack the green papaya. I have seen chefs chop with viscous precision to get fine strips of the papaya meat but I can not show you how this is done. So find a tool that best suits you and julienne the papaya and carrot.

Peel and slice the firm mango.

Pick the leaves off of the stalks of the coriander and mint.

Finely slice the banana chilli.

Mix all of the above ingredients together with the baby bok choy in a large mixing bowl and add the sesame seeds and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

Now to make the dressing, juice the lemon and mix the lemon, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved then add the sesame oil and set the dressing aside.

Cut your tuna into thin slices and lay them on a baking tray, get your brulee torch and scorch one side of the tuna pieces with the torch. Add the scorched tuna and dressing to the salad mix and toss everything together. Garnish with some extra mango and fried shallots.