fish

chargrilled tuna with dressed beans and loadsa herbs

servings
Serves 4

method

This is a really beautiful summer dish that takes hardly any time at all to prepare – and, of course, you can use different kinds of beans, such as black-eyed beans, flageolets, butter beans or even lentils. It's a terrific hot snack or main dish – and with the tuna all torn up it makes a great salad. I like to griddle the tuna for a minute on each side so it has color on the outside but still remains a little pink in the middle. A lot of people still want to cook tuna all the way through (which I think is madness!), but you must do it how you like best. It's worth seeing if you prefer it pink in the middle though. I'm really going heavy on the herbs in this recipe – 4 or 5 years ago this might have been a bit OTT, but it's really easy to get hold of a good selection of herbs now, so the more the merrier.

Feel free to use a couple of tins of beans if it's more convenient. Tinned beans aren't bad these days – they have got much better for some reason. But if you're using dried, which still taste better, soak them overnight in water. They'll double in size. You then just need to drain them and put them into a pan with fresh water to cover. Bring to the boil, then simmer them for around 40 minutes or until tender – sometimes I put a squashed tomato and a potato in the water with them, as it helps to soften the skins. When done, drain them, discarding the tomato and potato, and put them into a large bowl with 8 tablespoons of peppery olive oil, the red onion, anchovies and chillies. Season with salt and pepper and the lemon juice – for a bit of a twang.

Preheat your griddle pan until really hot. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the lemon zest and pat a little olive oil on both sides. Sear the steaks for a minute on each side. While the fish is searing, get your guests round the table. Throw the herbs into the dressed beans, mix up and divide between the plates. Take the tuna off the heat, tear it up and place on top of the warm beans. Nice with some cold white wine.

• from Jamie's Kitchen

ingredients

• 100g dried cannellini beans
• 100g dried borlotti beans
optional: 1 tomato
optional: 1 potato
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 1–2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 x 225g sustainably sourced tuna steaks, about 1cm thick
• zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 3 handfuls of mixed fresh herbs (chives, chervil, basil, parsley, mint), roughly chopped

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1. by jo on Mon 11 May 2009 @ 15:47

I make your tuna steak pan seared in that paste of cilantro, parsley, lemon juice and chilies pounded in a mortar all the time. (it's from back in 2004 I think) I usually serve it with butter beans (personal fave also known as Giant white lima) with extra virgin s&p.
Is literally my go to once a week summer dish.

2. by Melwallace on Mon 11 May 2009 @ 14:23

Oh yum, this sounds mad, and gives me something to do with those cans of beans in my pantry I thought I'd never use!

3. by Moe on Thu 20 Nov 2008 @ 15:30

anyone know the recipie for jamie's yellow finned tuna salad with fennel etc.. available at his restaurant in Bath?

4. by cate on Wed 23 Jul 2008 @ 18:58

the first jamie meal i've ever made and i'm very impressed. that was so quick, easy and delicious. i shall make it when i have people over who can't eat wheat or dairy, i.e. mum

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