Seared tuna with preserved lemon

Seared tuna with preserved lemon is a pintxos, that is a tapas dish from the Basque region of north-west Spain.  This recipe uses seared, fresh tuna as opposed to tinned tuna.  It makes an excellent starter.

Preparation Time: 30 Mins

Cooking Time: 3 Mins

Total Time: 35 Mins

Ingredients

For 8 servings…

1                    Pepper  - piquillo     

1 tbs               Capers      

70 ml              Olives  - black, pitted, brine preserved    

70 ml              Aïoli         

110 gms          Tuna        

                     Olive oil    

8 slices            Baguette   

3 tbs               Lemon  - preserved, rind of     

For the aïoli

1                    Egg yolk    

2 cloves           Garlic  - crushed      

1 tsp               Mustard  - Dijon      

½ tbs             Lemon juice            

3 grinds           Pepper  - white        

                     Salt          

140 ml             Olive oil    

Method

To make the aïoli…

Put the egg yolk, garlic, mustard, half the lemon juice, salt, pepper and one drop of olive oil into a blender and blend well.  Continue to blend and add the remainder of the olive oil in a slow trickle.

When all the oil has been added, taste the aïoli and adjust the seasoning, adding more pepper, salt or lemon juice if needed.

To cook the tuna and prepare the pintxos…

Finely chop together the piquillo pepper, capers, and olives.  Transfer them to a small bowl, add the aioli and mix well.

Paint the tuna with olive oil and sear it for 1½ minutes on each side in a hot pan.  Slice it into 8 equal-sized slices.

To serve, pile the pepper mixture on the baguette slices - dividing it evenly.  Top each mound with a piece of tuna and this with a little of the preserved lemon.

Wine recommendations

A dry white wine.

Conventional

     Txakoli de Getaria

Interesting

     Côtes de Gascogne

     Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur lie

     Sancerre

     Vin de pays Charentais blanc

Special

     Manzanilla Sherry