Tuna Milanese with Wilted Spinach, Prosciutto, Mushrooms, and Pine Nuts
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 servings
- Total: 50 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 20 min
Ingredients
6 (5 to 6-ounce) tuna paillards, 1/2-inch thick
2/3 cup raisins
1 cup port
3 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated, plus 1/2 cup, shredded
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional
1/2 cup clarified butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 medium mushrooms, quartered
1 pound spinach, picked and washed (loosely packed)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced thin and cut into julienne
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1 ounce lemon juice
1 medium red onion, julienned
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Caper Parsley Relish, recipe follows
Parsley Caper Relish:
2 bunches Italian parsley, leaves picked, coarsely chopped
2 lemons, peeled and sectioned, seeded and diced
1/4 cup capers
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Cut thin tuna steaks (or have fishmonger do it). Do not buy thick cuts and pound to 1/2-inch thickness like you would veal. Tuna is too delicate.
- In a saucepan, poach the raisins in the port until plump. Drain and reserve the raisins.
- Mix the bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, olive oil and, if desired, some chopped parsley together with salt and pepper. Dredge tuna in bread crumb mixture.
- Mix the olive oil and the clarified butter. Salt and pepper the tuna paillards and dredge in the oil-butter mixture. Dip again into the bread crumbs, thoroughly coating both sides.
- In a saute pan over medium to high heat, add a little oil and when hot the whole butter. Add the breaded paillards and saute on one side about 3 minutes until brown and crisp. Turn and cook the other side until brown and crisp. (Make sure not to crowd the saute pan. You will probably only be able to cook 2 paillards at a time.) Keep warm.
- When paillards are cooked, wipe out the pan, add a little oil (or left over butter-oil mixture) to the pan. Add in the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add the mushroom quarters and saute until browned. Add in the spinach, pine nuts, prosciutto, and let start to wilt. Remove from the heat.
- In the stainless bowl, add the raisins, onions, shredded Parmesan, and wilted spinach mixture, dress with the vinegar and toss.
- On six warm dinner plates, divide the spinach mixture and sprinkle on the lemon juice. Top each with a tuna paillard and top each paillard with the Caper Parsley Relish. Serve warm with a lemon crown.
Parsley Caper Relish:
- Mix all together in a large bowl.