Another Way With Tuna

It seems that I've been cooking a lot of tuna lately! I love how versatile it is and how you really can substitute it for a meaty dish. Last week I shared with you a baked tuna, today it's something a bit more simple.

Tuna steaks don't take long to cook, so are perfect for a midweek meal when you want something quick and easy. They cook faster than a regular steak, particularly because you want the middle to still be rare. Just make sure you don't over cook them. You only want half a centimetre at most cooked on each side. Any more than this and the fish will be dry and horrible. If you don't like tuna, or can't get it from your fish shop, you can substitute with any other sort of fish. Preferably use a firm fleshed fish, if you can.

Teamed with a sweet carrot puree and some wilted greens, you have a very colourful dish! I added some chopped roasted beetroot to my greens because I had some left over, but you could also use dried cranberries too. They both add a bit of sweetness to the greens, which can be bitter, depending on which sort you use. The red and green also look lovely, so if the weather isn't particularly warm for Christmas, it could be a good vegie choice!

The carrot puree can be made in advance and then just heated in a saucepan or the microwave when you're ready to eat. It doesn't take very long, but tastes great and looks lovely in a coloured bowl on the table.

There has been much Christmas cheer of late in the eat quaff laugh household, so no wine for us to go with the tuna tonight. If you are looking for a tipple, try a Riesling or unwooded Chardonnay. You want something light and fresh that is still nice and fruity, but not overpowering. Given that the tuna is quite meaty, a wine with a bit of complexity and depth would be perfect. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that matches!

Tuna Steaks With Carrot Puree and Mixed Greens

2 tuna steaks, about 1.5cm thick

Salt and pepper to taste

A drizzle of olive oil

4 carrots

50g Persian feta, marinated in oil

2 Tbs natural yoghurt

A bunch of mixed greens (rainbow chard, silver beet, spinach etc)

Chopped left over roasted beetroot or a handful of dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

For the carrot puree -

Peel and trim the carrots and chop coarsely.

Cook in the microwave or in a saucepan of water on the stove until soft. Drain and cool slightly.

Transfer to a food processor and whiz with the feta, yoghurt and enough of the marinating oil to make a thick consistency. Season to taste.

For the greens -

Wash and coarsely chop your selection of leafy greens. Remove any really thick bits of stalk which might be a bit woody.

Heat a frying pan with a drizzle of the feta oil and cook the greens until they begin to wilt. 

Throw in the beetroot or cranberries to warm through and season to taste.

Add an extra drizzle of the oil to serve, if you like.

For the tuna -

Cover the tuna steaks on both sides with a grinding of salt and a very generous covering of ground black pepper.

Heat  a frying pan over high heat with a good drizzle of olive oil.

Sear the tuna for about a minute on each side. You want about 0.5cm of cooked fish on either side, with the middle nice and pink.

To serve, place a creative blob of the carrot puree on the plate and then the tuna on top. Decoratively place the greens on top of the tuna. Enjoy!

Baked Tuna

I think I've told you before that we are trying to eat more fish in the eat quaff laugh household. Personally, I would eat salmon every day, but the man of the house isn't such a fan and would prefer to have anything but.

Tuna is another fish that we do have quite often and it seems to keep everyone happy. Seared on the outside so that the middle is still pink, it is great crusted with cracked black pepper or sesame seeds. Rather than cooking the tuna like a steak, this dish quickly sears the outside and then bakes it in the oven. Because you use a big piece of fillet, rather than individual slices, it tends not to dry out and you get all the amazing fishy flavours melding with the sauce ingredients. Just ask your friendly fishmonger for  a large piece of fillet, if they don't have any on display.

When you feel like seafood, but want something quite hearty and filling, then this is your meal. This time around I have used red wine, but I've also made it with white wine and it's equally as good. It really depends what you have on hand, what's open at the time or what you feel like drinking! Being so versatile, you can really make more or less the same recipe into different tasting meals. When the weather is cold, serve with mash and some green beans or asparagus, when it's warmer, maybe some fresh crusty bread and a rocket salad. Just make sure you don't waste all those delicious juices!

 

Baked Tuna

 

600g piece of tuna fillet, preferably all one thickness
A drizzle of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 French radishes, finely chopped
2 tsp small capers
500g fresh tomato, coarsely chopped
200ml red wine
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
A handful of fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Season tuna all over with salt and pepper.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over high heat and sear the fish on all sides until golden.
Remove from the frying pan while you make the sauce.
In an ovenproof pot with a lid, heat another drizzle of oil and gently fry garlic, shallot and radish until softened.
Add the capers, tomato, wine and thyme and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the tomato starts to break down. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the tuna in the middle of the sauce, cover with a lid and bake for 5 minutes.

Take the pot out of the oven, carefully turn the tuna over, re-cover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. You want the centre of the tuna to still be pink and moist.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes to finish cooking.
Place the tuna on a serving plate and spoon the tomato and juices over the top.
Sprinkle with the chopped mint and serve.

 

 

And To Drink...

This dish really goes against the 'white wine goes with fish' principle, due to the tuna fillet being so meaty. You could serve it with the red wine you cooked with, a white wine, or something in between!
We decided to have ours with a Rose, as there wasn't any of the cooking wine left! It was the remains of a bottle we'd had the night before.

The 2012 Lethbridge Rose was actually perfect with the fish. It had a little bit of sweetness, but was heavy enough to balance the meatiness of the tuna and the acidity of the tomatoes and capers. There were plenty of red berry flavours and a little bit of spinciness. On a warm night, having a chilled wine was perfect.

Lethbridge Wines are located in Lethbridge, which is 30km northwest of Geelong. We have gone down there for the last two years at vintag,e in February or March, to pick the grapes on their Friends Pick days. It's a lot of fun (and not too much hard work) and it's very satisfying to know that you've helped in the making of their wines. We've even had the chance to stomp the grapes in the barrels. It was very messy, but we loved it, especially the kids!

Please check out their wines, if you can. The premium reds and whites (named after the winemakers children) are wonderful.