Something fishy

A good friend gave me some freshly caught tuna last week and I made two delicious meals.  One of my favourite meals is something I first ate in 1976 while on holiday in Tahiti.  It is Tahiti's signature dish, e'ia ota, known in French as poisson cru.  It is so simple and quick to prepare and unbelievably delicious to eat.  For 2 hungry people you will want 250g very fresh tuna.  Cut the fish into 1-2cm pieces and put into a glass dish.  Squeeze over the juice of 2-3 limes depending on how juicy your limes are.  Refrigerate 10-15 minutes.  No longer.  Mix in some salad vegetables.  I used finely grated carrot, very finely diced red onion, finely diced green capsicum, finely julienned radish, finely sliced spring onion, chopped tomato.  You are aiming for freshness and texture.  Add 80-100 ml coconut milk and season with salt.  Refrigerate briefly & serve on a bed of shredded lettuce.  Tahitians may add sliced hard boiled egg and I might try that on another occasion. You will be amazed at how good this is. 
With the remaining tuna (I had 500g) we turned to the Mediterranean.  First make a paste.  In a pestle & mortar smash up a small piece of fresh or dried red chilli with 11/2 tbsp coriander seeds.  Add a small piece of crushed garlic, a good handful finely chopped basil and parsley, salt& pepper, juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Mix well to make a paste.  Rub on both sides of the piece of tuna.  If you are buying tuna steaks this is enough for 2 steaks.  Sear the tuna in a grill pan which has been lightly rubbed with olive oil.  About 1-2 minutes each side depending on the thickness of the fish.  You want them pink inside.  Serve with grilled courgette and sauteed potato slices.
These meals will make you want to learn to fish if you don't already know.