Tuna Provencale
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 1 hr
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus additional
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, plus additional
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves only
1 lime, zest finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) tuna steaks
2 Texas onions (spring onions), peeled, trimmed, and each cut into 8 wedges
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 small zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 orange baby bell peppers, cored, seeded, deveined, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Salt
12 fava beans, peeled
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 seedless orange, peeled and cut in segments
1 lemon, zest finely grated, flesh peeled, and cut in segments
4 sprigs basil, leaves only, washed
2 tablespoons Nicoise olives, pitted
1 tablespoon pistachios
Vegetable oil
Fleur de sel
Directions
- Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, fennel seeds, garlic, thyme leaves, and lime zest; season, to taste, with pepper. Rub the marinade all over the tuna steaks. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, fennel, a pinch of cumin, and a pinch of fennel seeds and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes (don't let the vegetables brown). Add the zucchini and bell peppers, season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
- Separately, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the fava beans and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, orange segments, lemon zest and segments, half of the basil leaves, olives, and pistachios.
- While the vegetables are cooking, heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush the pan with vegetable oil and grill the tuna steaks for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting each steak into 4 slices.
- Divide the vegetables among 4 warm dinner plates. For each plate, top with the remaining basil leaves and put 2 slices of tuna on top of the vegetables. Season the tuna with fleur de sel and spoon the citrus-fava mixture around the plate. Serve immediately.
