sesame-crusted ahi tuna steak, herb-spiced couscous, blistered green beans
Recipe courtesy of Mauricio Yáñez, Sous Chef, Frenchman's Creek Beach and Country Club
Ingredients
- tuna steak - 4 ea., 8 oz. (try to get fresh never frozen and best quality possible)
- white and black sesame seeds - toasted
- salt, pepper and coriander - for seasoning
- whole wheat couscous - 1/2 cup
- water or stock of choice - 1 1/2 cup
- salt - 1 tsp.
- turmeric - 1/2 tsp.
- coriander - 1/2 tsp.
- cumin - 1/2 tsp.
- cilantro - 1 Tbsp., chopped
- mint - 1 Tbsp., chopped
- basil - 1 Tbsp., chopped
- red bell pepper - 1/2 cup, finey diced
- almonds - 1/2 cup, slivered, toasted
- apricot - 1/4 cup, dried, diced
- lemon - 3 oz., juice and zest
- olive oil - 2 oz.
- green beans - 1/2 lb.
- pineapple sweet and sour sauce
- Pineapple Sweet And Sour Sauce
- garlic - 6 cloves, minced
- shallots - 2 ea., minced
- oil - 1/4 cup
- sherry wine - 2 oz.
- water - 1 qt.
- ketchup - 1/2 pint
- barbecue sauce - 1/2 pint
- lemons - 2 ea., peel
- sambal - 1 Tbsp.
- light soy sauce - 1 pint
- green onions - 2 ea.
- sugar - 1 cup
- star anise - 2 ea.
- brown sugar - 1 cup
- cinnamon stick - 1 ea., small
- pineapple juice - 12 oz.
- slurry (water and cornstarch) - as needed
- pineapple - 2 cups, diced, fresh
Instructions
- Rub tuna steaks with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and coriander.
- Reserve in the fridge for 1 hour.
- In a pot, add water. Bring it to a boil add salt and turmeric. Turn it off and add couscous cover and let sit for 5 to 7 minutes.
- When couscous puff up, squeeze dry and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix and adjust seasoning. Reserve in the fridge.
- Take tuna out of the fridge and crust with sesame seeds.
- In a sauté pan, add oil and bring it to a medium heat. Add tuna and sear for 3 minutes on each side.
- In another pan, add oil and bring to a high heat. Add green beans and cook until they are blistered. Season with salt and pepper and toss in a little soy sauce and sesame seeds.
- For plating, place couscous at center of the plate, then slice tuna and set it on top of the couscous with the green beans on the side and glazewith the sauce.
Procedure for Pineapple Sweet And Sour Sauce:
- In a pot, add the oil and turn on at medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots.
- Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent so the flavors infuse in the oil.
- Add the sherry. Reduce for a minute then add the water together with the remaining ingredients.
- Reduce by half at low heat.
- Thicken with slurry to a glaze consistency. Consider that when it cools down, it will be thicker.
- Strain. Add the pineapple and reserve.
