8 Recipes to Wean You Off Bluefin Tuna

The world’s bluefin fisheries are crashing. Everybody’s (and increasingly, that means globally) taste for sushi with ahi tuna is strong, and getting stronger. Seafood Watch, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sustainability steward for consumers, has recommendations for alternatives, but who can resist a melting, cherry-pink slab of otoro sashimi? These 8 recipes featuring seafood alternatives aren’t exact substitutes for tuna—think of them as delicious distractions, to help you virtuously avoid.

1. Cured Salmon

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Curing with salt firms the salmon to near-tuna levels. A big hunk of cured salmon on a platter is a beautiful thing on a buffet, or by itself (sliced) as an appetizer, or in a salad. Look for wild or sustainably farmed salmon. Get our Cured Salmon recipe.

2. West African Shrimp Ceviche

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This bold, bright dish combines the flavors of fresh ginger, cilantro, lime, and habanero and the firm-soft texture of lightly cured shrimp. Spooned onto crisp, freshly made sweet potato chips, it’s a good hors d’oeuvre for a party, or for breaking the ice at a sit-down dinner. Get our West African Shrimp Ceviche recipe.

3. Scallops Crudo

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Fresh ginger, mint, and Vanilla Salt gives these a lovely perfume. Buy the freshest scallops you can find from a trusted source—let your fishmonger know you’ll be serving them raw. Get our Scallops Crudo recipe.

4. Snapper Ceviche

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Marinated in both lime and orange juice, and accented with red onion, serrano chiles, tomatoes, and mint, it’s a nice riff on the classic Latin dish. This recipe works great with wild-caught snapper from Hawaii or opakapaka (pink snapper), or with rock cod. Get our Snapper Ceviche recipe.

5. Seared Yellowfin Tuna

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A classic way to handle tuna, with a simple ginger sesame sauce. Make sure the yellowfin you buy was caught by longline in the northern Atlantic, Hawaii, or the Central Pacific. Get Benny Doro’s Seared Yellowfin Tuna recipe.

6. Sockeye Salmon Tartare

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This light and delicious starter is loaded with fragrant herbs. Scoop it up with crunchy taro chips or a toasted baguette. Get our Sockeye Salmon Tartare recipe.

7. Halibut with Watercress Pesto

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This healthy dish calls for broiling meaty halibut fillets with thin lemon rounds. The beans are flecked with sweet bell peppers and shallots, then coated with a fresh pestolike sauce made with watercress. Get our Halibut with Watercress Pesto recipe.

8. Paprika Grilled Salmon

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Fresh salmon fillets marinate briefly in olive oil and paprika before meeting a hot grill pan in this simple recipe. A classic aioli (garlic mayonnaise) punched up with lemon and mustard is the perfect accompaniment. Look for wild or sustainably farmed salmon. Get our Paprika Grilled Salmon recipe.