Grilled Tuna with White Bean Puree, Olive Tapenade and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 2-4
Time: 50 minutes
•2 sushi-quality tuna steaks, such as Ahi (6 to 8 ounces) each, about 1 inch thick
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 pint of vine cherry tomatoes
•½ cup orange chile oil (recipe follows)
•2 cups fresh Israeli arugula leaves, for garnish
White Bean Puree:
•2 cans (14 oz) white cannelini beans, drained
•2 cloves garlic
•2 anchovy filets
•½ cup white chicken stock, heated
•2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Black Olive Tapenade:
•1 cup pitted kalalmata olive
•1 small garlic clove
•pinch crushed red pepper flakes
•small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
•1 tablespoon of fresh tarrgaon
•1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
•3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh mache, to serve on the side
Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
Lay out cherry vine tomatoes in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle with orange chile oil and roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until tomatoes are slightly burst and have given off their juices.
Make the olive tapenade. Add tapenade ingredients to a food processor and process to a coarse puree. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and set aside.
Make white bean puree. In a saucepan add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and sweat for 1 minutes until fragrant. Add the beans followed by the warm chicken stock and cook until heated through. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree with a splash of white vinegar, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Thin with extra stock if the puree is too thick. Give it a final taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.
Now prepare the tuna. Heat your grill until it is smoking hot. Drizzle the tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the hot grill for about 45 seconds and then turn over and do the same. The tuna should be rare on the inside and have nice grill marks on the outside.
Garnish with fresh Israeli arugula leaves.
Orange Chile Oil:
•1 ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
•4 sprigs of fresh thyme
•2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
•1 ½ tablespoons dried red chili flakes
•2 strips of orange peel
Make the chili oil by adding the thyme, rosemary, chili flakes and orange peel to the oil. Put aside and let it sit for at least one hour to let the flavors infuse.