Maybe it’s the scarcity of good sushi in this town. Maybe that’s why someone would get excited about an appetizer that uses frozen fish. Or maybe it’s because it’s yellowfin tuna and like all firm fish it handles freezing well.

Don Day’s Wife has made it twice recently. And twice guests raved about the dish. And twice guests emailed for the recipe. But, as good as it tastes, the best part is how little it costs.

Don Day’s Wife found the key ingredient a few months ago. Hiding in the freezer chest at San Miguel supermarket La Comer. Tuny, the brand that usually puts their tuna into cans, is now putting four very nice yellowfin steaks, about 200 grams each, into a box and selling them for the ridiculously low price of 150 pesos. That’s less than five of those ever expanding Uncle Sam dollars per pound.

400 g. frozen yellowfin tuna
1 avocado – just ripe but still firm
1 spring onion finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely-grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. wasabi paste (or to taste)
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. finely-chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds.
juice of one small lime

Slice the tuna while still frozen into 1 cm cubes. Put in refrigerator to thaw.

Mix wasabi, soy, onion, ginger, cilantro, sesame oil and lime juice. Taste sauce for spiciness – add more wasabi if desired.

Just before serving, chop avocado into 1 cm cubes. Gently mix with tuna.

Pour sauce over tuna mixture and stir gently to coat.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Serve immediately with rice crackers or tortilla chips, or spoon into endive leaves.