Marinated Tuna On A Bed Of Bitter Greens Recipes

MARINATED TUNA ON A BED OF BITTER GREENS

Steps:

• Cut the tuna into 4 or 8 equal portions, depending on whether it will be served as an appetizer or a main course. Put the fish in a shallow dish made of a noncorrodible material (glass, clay, stainless steel or enameled iron). Make a marinade by combining the soy sauce, lemon juice, sherry, ginger, scallions, garlic, chili pepper and black pepper. Pour the marinade over the tuna, cover and refrigerate for 5 to 8 hours.
• After the tuna has marinated, prepare the greens. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Wash the leaves well under running water and place them in a large pot. Cover and steam over a high heat for about 5 minutes, adding a little boiling water if necessary to keep the greens from burning. When the greens are tender, drain them in a colander.
• If you are using a gas grill to cook the fish, preheat it to the highest setting. If you are using a charcoal grill, give the coals enough time to become red hot. The tuna can also be broiled.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and, when the oil sizzles, add the greens. Saute for no more than 2 minutes. Taste the greens and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Set them aside.
• Remove the fish from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Grill or broil the steaks until they are lightly charred on the outside and opaque in the center. (Tuna should not be eaten rare because of the danger of parasites.) While cooking the steaks, baste them frequently with the marinade.
• When the fish is thoroughly cooked, arrange the greens on a warm platter or individual plates. Place the tuna on the greens, garnish with lemon quarters and serve immediately.

TUNA STEAK AU POIVRE WITH WHITE BEANS AND BITTER GREENS SALAD

Steps:

• If you are planning to roast your red pepper, rather than use store bought, place your pepper under broiler to blacken. See red pepper method below.
• Preheat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Pat tuna steaks dry and season with a little coarse salt. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over tuna and lightly coat steaks on both sides. Coat 1 side of the steaks with a generous amount of coarse ground black pepper. When the pan is very hot, add steaks, peppered side down. Sear and brown steaks 2 minutes, then turn, and immediately reduce heat to medium. Loosely cover pan with aluminum foil tent and allow steaks to cook 5 minutes for rare, 7 minutes for medium. Steaks should be firm, but have a little give and some pink should remain at the center.
• In a second skillet over moderate heat, coat pan with olive oil, add garlic and onion, and saute 3 minutes to soften onion bits. Add beans and chopped roasted red pepper to the pan. Heat beans through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary and parsley and season beans with salt and pepper.
• Combine escarole and radicchio in shallow dish. Coat greens with lemon juice, then a drizzle of oil. Season salad with coarse salt and toss well.
• To serve, pile a serving of beans on a dinner plate and top with tuna steak. Serve salad greens along side beans and fish. You can also serve this with sliced bread that has been toasted and then rubbed with half a garlic clove.
• To roast red peppers: Preheat broiler to high. Split and seed pepper and place skin side up close to hot broiler. Blacken skins of pepper. Transfer pepper to brown paper bag and seal. Let pepper cool to handle. Peel charred skins away from pepper flesh.