Seasoned tuna steaks with lemon zest and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Perfect for a mid-week meal.
Ingredients
- 4x 150 g5 oz tuna steaks
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
For the sauce:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 150 g6 oz baby tomatoes, halved lengthways
- 75 g2½ oz Kalamata olives, stoned (from a jar not a tin in brine)
- 100 g4 oz grilled artichokes (from a jar not a tin or brined)
- Handful of basil leaves
For the garlic breadcrumbs:
- 2 tbsp extra olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, very finely sliced
- 100 g4 oz breadcrumbs
- Zest of an un-waxed lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method: How to make Seared tuna with Puttanesca sauce and garlic breadcrumbs
Heat the light olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan to smoking hot. Season the tuna really well then fry for a minute each side.
In a separate pan heat the extra virgin olive oil, add the chilli flakes and anchovy filets and fry for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Allow them to cook until just beginning to soften then throw in the olives and just heat through. Season with a little salt (remember the anchovies are salty) and plenty of black pepper then stir in the basil.
Remove the tuna from the pan and allow to rest in a warm place. Add the remaining extra virgin olive oil to the pan along with the garlic. Cook very briefly then add the breadcrumbs with plenty of seasoning. Cook over a high heat until the breadcrumbs are beginning to get really crispy then stir in the lemon zest. Cook briefly before stirring in the parsley.
To serve, spoon the sauce onto the centre of each plate, place a tuna steak on top and finish with a sprinkling of the crispy breadcrumbs.
