Roasted tuna with baked tomatoes and basil recipe

This recipe is similar to one that I first tasted in Sardinia, says Ben Tish. It's very simple, but relies on using the best-quality fish and ripe tomatoes in season. Try to get thick tuna steaks as they will be easier to cook and allow you to achieve a nice crust on the outside while retaining a lovely pink colour on the inside.

Ingredients

• 500g vine tomatoes, cored, and cut in half widthways 
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 
• olive oil 
• four x 200g tuna steaks, each about 2.5cm thick 
• leaves from a small bunch of basil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

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• Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/gas mark 5.
• Place the tomatoes in a roasting tray, sprinkle over the garlic, coriander seeds and red wine vinegar, add a good drizzle of olive oil and season well. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes have started to caramelise and release their natural juices. You'll have a lovely self-made dressing in the pan from the mix of the oil, juices and vinegar. Leave in a warm spot.
• Pat the tuna dry, then season each steak with salt and pepper. Heat a good splash of olive oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. When it is hot, add the tuna and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side to achieve a nice crust. Remove from the pan if you like your tuna pink inside, but if you want it cooked more, fry it for a further 2-3 minutes, turning as you go. Rest the tuna for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, gently stir the basil leaves with the roasted tomatoes. Divide among individual plates. Then top each portion with a nice piece of tuna and spoon over the tomato-vinegar juices. Serve.

• A note on tuna fishing in Sardinia. The annual Carloforte tuna catch is renowned worldwide and takes place from April through to June. The fishermen use the tuna trap method devised by Arab fishermen in the Middle Ages. This involves using a series of net chambers to catch and haul the fish to the banks. Though considered cruel by some, the technique is more humane than many modern methods, and the catch levels are monitored to ensure stocks are not overfished.

Taken from Mediterra: Recipes from the Islands and Shores of the Mediterranean by Ben Tish (Bloomsbury Absolute, £26). To buy from The Week Bookshop for £20.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.

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