Springtime Grilled Tuna with Puttanesca Salsa
Springtime – brisk and refreshing, budding with life – this season offers better weather and more days suitable for outdoor cooking and entertaining. This week we bring some stimulating grilling inspiration to match this time of year: Grilled Tuna with Puttanesca Salsa. Nothing is as revitalizing as fresh fish lightly seared and seasoned, and this simple preparation is perfect for entertaining your family and friends.
A puttanesca sauce combines tomatoes, olives, capers, and garlic and forms a salty salad that is light and flavorful to complement the tuna steaks. Adding crushed red pepper and sugar to the tomato mixture over the heat yields a thickened salsa with deepened flavor profiles. The tuna steaks get a quick searing until rare or medium-rare to lock in the natural oils and savors. Refreshing in taste and simplicity, this dish makes for a quick and easy meal with complex colors and aromas. Get your grill ready, arrange the outdoor furniture, and let's go fishing!
Serves: 4
Springtime Grilled Tuna with Puttanesca Salsa Ingredients
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
- 1-1/2 tsp. rinsed and drained capers
- 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium clove of garlic, minced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Pinch granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 5-oz. tuna steaks (preferably about 1 inch thick)
Springtime Grilled Tuna with Puttanesca Salsa Directions
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare a medium-high (400°F) gas or charcoal grill fire.
- Combine the tomatoes, olives, and capers in a medium bowl. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, occasionally stirring, just until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the red pepper flakes and sugar, and stir in the tomato mixture and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and take off the heat.
- Brush both sides of the tuna with the remaining 2 tsp. of oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until rare to medium-rare in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Slice the tuna into thick slices and serve topped with the salsa.
Taken from finecooking.com https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/grilled-tuna-with-puttanesca-salsa
