Tuna Au Poivre
Nowadays most experienced home cooks grill tuna, but there are alternatives. Top of my list is tuna au poivre, yet another recipe that plays on tuna’s similarity to beef steaks. How finely to grind the pepper turns out to be a matter of taste. Mine dictates “coarsely ground” as opposed to “cracked.” That is, ground to the point where there are no large pieces left, but not to the point of powder. The coarser you make the grind, the more powerful the result will taste.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Put the pepper on a flat plate. Put the olive oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of each piece of tuna lightly in the pepper; it will adhere nicely, forming a thin coat. (Use a bit more pepper if necessary.) As they’re dredged, add the steaks to the pan (if you must use 2 pans, double the amount of oil); when they are all in, turn the heat to high. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn; add salt, then cook for another 1 minute. Turn the heat to low, transfer the steaks to an ovenproof plate, and place in the oven.
Step 2
Add half the butter to the pan (if you used 2 pans to brown the tuna, use just one to make the sauce), followed by the shallot. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the shallot softens, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wine; let it bubble away for a minute or so and add the remaining butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sauce is thickened.
Step 3
By this time the tuna steaks will be medium-rare (cut into one to make certain and roast a little longer if you like). Put each of them on a plate and spoon a little of the sauce over it. Serve immediately.
