Grilled Tuna with Fennel and White Bean Salad
Tucked into my farm share this week were two beautiful little fennel bulbs with all their fronds still attached.
I knew just the dish to make!
Grilled Tuna with Fennel and White Bean salad is and easy summer dish that I’ve adapted from a recipe in NY Times Cooking by David Tanis.
Creamy white beans are surrounded by fresh, crisp, thinly sliced fennel that has been tossed in a little lemon juice and olive oil. Served with slices of perfectly grilled rare tuna it makes a delicious light summer meal.
For my version of the dish I’ve dressed the beans with a few tablespoons of pesto that I made with the fronds from the fennel. The pesto has a light hint of licorice, which nicely echoes the flavour of the sliced fennel, and really ties the whole dish together.
Of course, you don’t have to make fennel pesto. A good basil pesto, homemade or store-bought, will be just as delicious, and will still have that slightly licorice flavour to tie in with the sliced fennel.
To make fennel pesto see my recipe for Pesto Orzo Salad and simply substitute fennel fronds for the basil in the pesto. The fennel pesto is delicious used in the Orzo Salad as well!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds tuna fillets in 2-inch-thick pieces
- 1 small shallot
- 2 x 540 ml canned navy beans, or other white beans ( approx. 4 cups cooked beans)
- 2 – 3 tbsp pesto
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small fennel bulbs (or 1 medium size)
- chopped fennel fronds for garnish for garnish
- fresh parsley for garnish
- salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice the shallot and soak in ice water or vinegar for 10 minutes to tame it's bite. Rinse and drain the beans and place in a large bowl. Drain the onions and add to the beans along. Stir in the pesto, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Set aside at room temperature.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the lemon zest, a pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper and 3 tablespoons olive oil.Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the fennel crosswise into very thin slices. Place in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Preheat gas grill to medium-high heat, or 350-400° F, or heat a stove-top cast iron pan over high heat. Brush the tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for only 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Turn the tuna and cook for another 1-2 minutes. The center of the tuna should still be pink/ quite rare. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5-6 minutes before cutting into ½ inch slices.
- Place the beans on a platter, surrounded by the fennel slices. Arrange the sliced tuna on top of the beans and garnish with parsley and some fennel fronds. Serve at room temperature.