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Grilled Tuna
Served with Eggplant & Cilantro Oil
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Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 45 minutes |
- 6 to 8 Japanese eggplant, or 2 eggplant
- 2 bunches cilantro
- 2 inches fresh ginger
- 1 lime, preferably organic
- Four 6 oz. tuna steaks, preferably line-caught
- Fresh, crusty bread
Shopping List
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine or coarse sea salt
- Garlic
Pantry Items
- Bread knife
- Chef’s knife
- Food processor
- Heavy skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Paring knife
- Roasting pan
- Roasting rack
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Zester or Microplane
Tools
- Wine: Pinot Blanc
- Dessert: Fresh blueberries and cream
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Preheat the oven to 450F or light the grill
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine and chill it
- Prep
- Rub the tuna all over with olive oil. Refrigerate.
- Rinse and pat dry the eggplant. Trim off the stem ends.
- Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices, and rub each slice on both sides with enough olive oil to moisten it completely.
- Rinse and pat dry the cilantro; pluck 2 cups of leaves and save the rest for garnish.
- Peel and coarsely chop 2 garlic cloves.
- Peel and coarsely chop the ginger.
- Zest the lime.
- Squeeze 2 tbsps. juice from the lime.
- Start Cooking
- If you are baking the eggplant, arrange it on the roasting pan and put it in the oven. It will take a total of about 30 minutes to cook. If you’re using the grill, hold off doing anything for the moment.
- If you’ve got a food processor, puree the cilantro, garlic, ginger, lime zest and 1/4 tsp. salt. Otherwise, mince everything together as fine as you can.
- Add ½ cup olive oil to the herb mixture, and process. (If you’ve minced it all, put it in a small bowl before you whisk in the olive oil!)
- Add 1 tbsp. lime juice, either process or whisk, and taste for seasoning. Add more salt or lime juice if you want to. Set this aside for now.
- Put the eggplant on the grill now if you’re grilling. It will take about 15 minutes total to grill.
- Set the table, pour yourself a glass of wine, open the mail.
- Check the eggplant – turn it if it’s golden on one side.
- Slice the bread and put it on the table.
- Put the tuna on the grill, or heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the tuna and cook it until it is just slightly pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side. If you’re grilling, put the tuna on the grill and grill it for the same amount of time. (This amount of cooking time won’t give you rare tuna).
- Put the tuna on a platter. It is best if it sits for awhile so it can relax and you can pour off any juices it gives up.
- Check the eggplant – it should be cooked. Remove it from the oven or grill (don’t forget to turn them off). Put on a platter, and pour the cilantro oil over them.
- Drain off any liquid from the tuna, and drizzle it with the remaining tbsp. lime juice.
- Dinner is ready to serve – take the tuna and the eggplant to the table – don’t forget the wine!
