Tuna au Poivre With Red Wine Sauce

It is often said that Tuna is like a steak. So why not prepare it and as you would a steak? Tuna au Poivre With Red Wine Sauce is a play on Steak au Poivre that really works. The key to it is having really good Tuna. We are lucky to have McCall's Meat and Fish. They are an excellent provider. This is a great dish worthy of repeating. We drank Sake with it just to make the cross cultural experience complete.

Tuna au Poivre With Red Wine Sauce

New York Times

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 6 servings

1½    pounds fresh tuna, cut into 6 steaks about 1-inch thick

Salt

2       garlic cloves, smashed to a paste

½t     easpoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground

½      teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly toasted and ground

2       teaspoons coarsely crushed black peppercorns

2       tablespoons olive oil

1       tablespoon butter

2       shallots, finely diced

½      cup red wine

2½    cups chicken broth

PREPARATION

1.    Season tuna steaks with salt. Sprinkle with garlic, coriander, fennel and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Rub to coat evenly with spices on both sides. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 4 hours and bring to room temperature before cooking).

2.    Make the red wine sauce: Melt butter over medium-high heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add chicken broth and reduce until 1 cup sauce remains, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, set aside and keep warm.

3.     Set a wide cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (or use 2 smaller pans). When hot, lay in steaks and sear for 2 minutes, until nicely browned. Flip and cook 1 minute more for rare, 2 minutes for medium rare. Arrange tuna on a platter or individual plates. Spoon wine sauce over each steak.