Salt Seared Tuna With Fennel Courgettes And English Pea Pesto Recipes

CHEAPO PEA PESTO

Steps:

• Combine the peas, walnuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until chopped into a thick mixture. Add the cheese and lemon juice and pulse again until incorporated.
• With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a thick paste is formed. Turn off the machine and season with salt and pepper. Pulse the pesto one final time to incorporate the seasoning.
• Serve over crostini for an easy appetizer.

TUNA PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to the packet's instructions. Drain the pasta reserving about 250 ml/ 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Sauce: In the meantime, place the pesto, cream cheese, and drained tuna in a small saucepan. Add about 125 ml/ ½ cup of the water to the sauce and heat gently while stirring all the time.
• Mix the sauce and the cooked pasta. Add a little more pasta water if necessary, the sauce should coat the pasta.
• Adjust the taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.

PEA PESTO CROSTINI

Steps:

• For the pea pesto: Pulse together the peas, garlic, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• For the crostini: Preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared pesto on each slice.
• Top with tomato halves and serve.
• *Cook's note: If you don't have day-old bread on hand, you can dry out fresh bread by putting the slices in a preheated 300 degree F oven until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.

TUNA-PESTO MELTS ON RYE WITH ROMAINE SALAD WITH CANDIED WALNUTS AND GRAPEFRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• For tuna melts:
• In a medium bowl, combine tuna, pesto, red peppers, mayonnaise, and Parmesan. Mix well and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon tuna mixture onto bread slices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top the tuna with cheese. Broil 2 minutes, until cheese melts.
• For the salad:
• In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and mustard and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Arrange lettuce on a serving plate and top with grapefruit segments and walnuts. Pour dressing over salad and serve.

SEARED TUNA WITH FENNEL-AND-LEMON SLAW

Steps:

• To make the slaw, whisk together in a large bowl the zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Add the fennel, toss and refrigerate for 1 hour. Carefully wrap the fennel fronds in plastic to keep them fresh, then refrigerate.
• When ready to serve, generously season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the oil and immediately add the tuna. Cook, turning once, until the tuna is seared on the outside but still very pink at the center, about 5 to 10 minutes depending on its thickness.
• Slice the tuna into thin slices. Lay them over 4 serving plates, place a mound of slaw in the center of each plate, garnish with the chopped fennel fronds and serve.

TUNA STEAKS WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until leeks are limp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the fennel and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook slowly for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasonings. The mixture should be very soft.
• Meanwhile, season the albacore steaks with salt and pepper and heat the remaining olive oil in another pan over medium-high heat. Sear the albacore steaks for 30 seconds on each side. Place on top of the fennel. Cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
• Sprinkle on the parsley and serve, laying the fish on top of the fennel, with lemon wedges on the side.

SEARED TUNA, WHITE BEAN AND FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Season tuna generously on both sides with salt, then sprinkle with the black pepper, fennel seed and pollen (if using). Drizzle very lightly with olive oil and rub the seasoning into the fillets with your hands. Set aside at room temperature.
• Peel and dice the onion and soak in ice water for 10 minutes (this will tame its bite). Drain the beans and put in a bowl. Add a generous sprinkling of salt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stir. Drain onions and add to beans. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and set aside at room temperature.
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the lemon zest, garlic, a pinch of salt, crushed red pepper and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Place a wide cast iron pan over high heat. When it is hot, add tuna. Cook for about 2 minutes, until a golden brown crust forms, then flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Take care not to let the spices scorch; reduce the heat if necessary. The exterior of the fish will be cooked, but the interior will be quite rare. For medium-rare, cook an additional 2 minutes on the second side. Remove from pan and transfer to a cutting board to cool.
• Using a very sharp knife or mandoline, slice fennel crosswise into very thin slices. Salt lightly and toss with dressing. Arrange dressed fennel around the edge of the platter, surrounding the beans.
• Cut the tuna in ½-inch slices and arrange over beans. Sprinkle with parsley and fennel fronds and serve at room temperature.