Recipe courtesy of Sean Brock
Salt Seared Tuna with Fennel, Courgettes and English Pea Pesto
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 55 min
- Prep: 35 min
- Cook: 20 min
Ingredients
Fennel and courgettes:
1 beer
2 cups self-rising flour
Salt
20 baby zucchini
4 fennel bulbs
12 baby squash
1 quart vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
4 squash blossoms
Pea Pesto:
1/2 cup fresh English peas
1 teaspoon almond oil
1 Meyer lemon, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon Parmesan
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 extra-virgin olive oil
Tuna:
2 Himalayan salt blocks
1 1/2 pounds fresh big-eye tuna
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
2 teaspoons fennel pollen
Ground black pepper
Garnish:
Fennel fonds
Red ribbon sorrel
Nasturtium leaves
Directions
- Whisk together the beer and flour, season with salt. Hold refrigerated.
- Take 8 baby zucchini and blanch in salted water until tender. Puree in blender until smooth.
- Place the fennel and remaining zucchini and squash in a small pan and cover with vegetable stock. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and braise over low heat until tender. Season with salt.
Pea Pesto:
- Place all ingredients for pea pesto except the olive oil into a blender and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil.;
Garnish:
- Place the salt block directly on the stove top and heat until hot about 5 minutes. Toss the tuna in olive oil and season with salt, fennel pollen and pepper. Place in a cryovac bag and cook, sous vide-style, at 130 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from the bag quickly sear the tuna on the salt block on all 4 sides.
- Dip the blossoms in the beer batter and fry at 350 degrees F until golden brown. Smear the pesto across the plate and arrange the vegetables in the pesto. Slice the tuna thinly and place around the vegetables. Serve alongside fennel, courgettes, pesto and garnishes.