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
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- 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.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
-
6 sporty homes with tennis courtsFeature Featuring a clay tennis court in New York and a viewing deck in California
-
Critics’ choice: Seafood in the spotlightFeature An experimental chef, a newspaper-worthy newcomer, and a dining titan’s fresh spin-off
-
Taylor Swift’s Showgirl: Much glitter, little goldFeature Swift’s new album has broken records, but critics say she may have gotten herself creatively stuck
-
9 inviting bookstores ready for you to attack their shelvesThe Week Recommends Your new favorite book awaits
-
Tim Robinson falls out of a chair, chefs compete for Michelin stars and Martin Scorsese gets the documentary treatment in October TVthe week recommends This month's new television releases include ‘The Chair Company,’ ‘Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars’ and ‘Mr. Scorsese’
-
Frankenstein comes to life, the Alabama prison system is exposed and Rose Byrne goes full Crazy Mom in October moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘The Alabama Solution’ and ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’
-
Choose your own wellness adventure in Greater Palm SpringsThe Week Recommends Hit the spa, try a sound bath or take a hike
-
A Taylor Swift analysis, the digital-addiction solution plus what it means to be a gay Black artist — all in October booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Taylor’s Version’ by Stephanie Burt, ‘Enshittification’ by Cory Doctorow and ‘Minor Black Figures’ by Brandon Taylor
-
8 of the best ‘cozy crime’ series of all timeThe Week Recommends Murder mysteries don’t necessarily have to make us miserable, and these shows have perfected a feel-good crime formula
-
One great cookbook: ‘The Woks of Life’The Week Recommends A family’s opinionated, reliable take on all kinds of Chinese cooking
-
The 5 best mob movies of all timeThe Week Recommends If you don’t like a good gangster flick, just fuhgeddaboudit
