Fennel Crusted Tuna Recipes

TOASTED FENNEL CRUSTED TUNA WITH RIOJA RED WINE SAUCE, CARAMELIZED BABY ONIONS AND BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• For the Rioja Red Wine Sauce: Place port, wine, sugar and honey in a medium stainless steel saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, let cool. Place reduced liquid in a blender and with the motor running, add oil until emulsified. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
• For the Pearl Onions: Place water, butter and sugar in a medium saucepan and cook until the butter and sugar is melted. Add onions and cook over high heat until the water has evaporated and the onions are cooked through and caramelized. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.
• For the Tuna: Heat a small saute pan over high heat. Add the fennel seeds and toast for 1 to 2 minutes. Place the seeds in a coffee grinder and grind until coarsely chopped. Season the tuna with salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Dredge 1 side of each fillet in the fennel seeds. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Saute the tuna, fennel-side down until golden brown 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the fish over and continue cooking for 1 minute for rare doneness. Drizzle the fish with Rioja sauce and parsley. Serve with caramelized onions and braised fennel.
• For the Braised Fennel: Brown fennel in olive oil in medium pan. Deglaze pan with wine and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and braise until tender.

TOASTED FENNEL CRUSTED TUNA WITH SAFFRON-RED PEPPER SAUCE AND SPRING VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place fennel seeds in a coffee grinder and coarsely grind and place on a large plate. Brush tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat saute pan or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Dredge one side of the tuna in the fennel seeds. Saute, fennel-side down for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, turn over and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes for rare doneness.
• Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the red peppers, vinegar, water and saffron and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Place in a blender and blend until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook until lightly golden brown. Cover with water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook until al dente, drain and place into a large bowl. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan and saute the vegetables until just cooked through. Add the vegetables and oil to the couscous. Whisk together the soy sauce and harissa and pour over the couscous and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

CORIANDER, FENNEL, AND PEPPER CRUSTED TUNA WITH WATERMELON SALSA

Steps:

• To prepare the watermelon salsa, in a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
• To prepare spice blend, grind all spices in a mini food processor or spice grinder they are powdery. Spread the spice mixture evenly on a large plate.
• Rinse the tuna fillets and pat dry. Place one side of each piece of tuna into the spice mixture. Shake off excess.
• In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Carefully place two of the tuna fillets, spiced side down, into the skillet. A spice crust should form within 1 minute. Using kitchen tongs, turn over the tuna, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 2 to 5 minutes to desired doneness. Repeat the process with the remaining tuna fillets. For Watermelon Salsa:

SALT SEARED TUNA WITH FENNEL, COURGETTES AND ENGLISH PEA PESTO

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.;
• 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.

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.

SPICED TUNA STEAKS WITH FENNEL AND RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Lightly brush tuna steaks with some additional oil and season with salt. Crush fennel seeds and peppercorns coarse in a mortar with a pestle and press onto both sides of tuna steaks. Let tuna steaks stand on a plate 10 minutes.
• In a heavy non-stick skillet sauté fennel bulb in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden. Add bell pepper and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add water and simmer vegetables, covered, 10 minutes, or until fennel is tender. Remove lid and, if necessary, boil mixture until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and keep warm.
• While fennel mixture is cooking, brush a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, with some additional oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté tuna steaks 2 minutes on each side, or until barely pink in center, for medium meat. Transfer tuna steaks to plates and spoon fennel-pepper mixture over and around them.

FENNEL-CRUSTED AHI TUNA WITH LEMON AïOLI OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy small skillet. Toast over medium heat until fragrant, shaking skillet occasionally, about 3 minutes. Grind spice mixture in spice grinder. Transfer to bowl; mix in 1 teaspoon salt.
• Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, and half of garlic in small bowl. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store spice mixture airtight at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate lemon aioli.)
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot and onion and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add thyme and remaining garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add 2 1/4 cups water and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil. Add sugar snap peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer peas to plate. Immediately add couscous to water in skillet and stir to combine. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork. Transfer to bowl and cool completely. Mix in sugar snap peas and dill. Season to taste with pepper. (Couscous can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Prepare barbecue (high heat). Coat tuna with 6 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with spice mixture. Grill tuna until seared outside and rare in center, about 4 minutes per side. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon couscous onto plates. Top with tuna and drizzle with lemon aioli.