Spiced tuna with peppers, olives and tomato

Serving tuna with this spicy pepper – tomato sauce is a delight.  It brings memories of the Mediterranean and particularly Italy.  Makes an excellent starter or a supper dish.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 10 Mins

Total Time: 25 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

1                    Pepper  - red - peeled and cut into slices  

1                    Pepper  - yellow - peeled and cut into slices          

100 ml             Olive oil    

1 clove            Garlic       

1 tsp               Thyme      

25 ml              Vinegar  - red wine   

2                    Tomatoes  

25 gms            Olives  - black, pitted

1 tbs               Basil  - chopped       

6                    Anchovy fillets         

                     Pepper      

                     Salt          

4 steaks           Tuna        

10 gms            Peppercorns  - black, crushed   

10 gms            Coriander seeds  - crushed      

10 gms            Fennel seeds  - lightly toasted, crushed   

4 slices            Ciabatta    

Method

Gently fry the pepper slices in olive oil with the garlic and thyme until the peppers are soft.  Add the red wine vinegar and place into a bowl.

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds and them plunge into iced water.  Peel them, cut them into quarters and deseed.  Cut into strips and add to the peppers.  Add the olives, basil, anchovies and olive oil and season to taste.

Season the tuna with salt and press into the crushed spices.  Sear it for 1½ minutes on each side.  Drizzle a little olive oil onto the ciabatta and place on a griddle.

Slice the tuna steaks and serve with the peppers mixture and ciabatta.

Wine recommendations

A robust white wine.

Conventional

     Côte Chalonnaise blanc

Interesting

     Chinon blanc

     Graves blanc

     Pinot Gris

Special

     Champagne blanc de blancs

Unusual

     Crémant de Bordeaux